The Legacy of Naruto: New Beginnings
by shinobiguy
Summary: Naruto becomes the new Hokage while Sasuke plans a war of utter destruction. What will happen as things near the brink of war? What secrets lurk inside the shadows? first fanfic. R&R plz. constructive criticism is appreciated
1. Chapter 1: The New Hokage

_Note: This is my first ever fanfic so please be easy on me. i welcome constructive criticism. this chapter is pretty short as well as the next few but it isn't the same for the later ones. Well anyways I hope you enjoy. It is set three years after shippuden where Akatsuki has been defeated (I will include flashbacks of everything as i see fit when the time calls for it)_

_Also note that none of the characters belong to me._

_p.s. I will be revising this story when I finish with this fanfic as well as my next one._

* * *

Chapter 1: The New Hokage

"Naruto please come in," as Koharu motioned him into the room.

The spiky blond kid slowly stepped into the Konoha council room. He seemed extremely mellow if not depressive from his usual hyperactiveness. Much has just happened and now all of a sudden the council wants to speak with him. In front of him in their respective chairs were Homura and Koharu, former teammates of Sandaime Hokage. The others that were also present were Jiraiya, Danzo, and Iruka.

"I know much has happened in the past few days Naruto with the death of Tsunade and everything…" said Homura.

"You mean the murder of Tsunade-baachan," Naruto cut in a little defiantly.

"Yes, but we have important business that needs to be taken care of right away and that is why we called you in."

"What business is more important than going after the one that killed Tsunade-baachan?" Naruto snapped.

"Naruto just shut it and listen," Jiraiya commanded.

"Well as Homura was just saying about important business is that a new Hokage needs to be appointed," Koharu said softly, "Now we have greatly deliberated about this and even though most of us are at a stand still, Tsunade did greatly recommend a candidate for Rokudaime and so we have made a decision."

"You see Naruto the council here has decided to appoint you as the next Hokage of Konoha," Jiraiya said very somberly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened at just the mentioning of him being the new Hokage. It is true it is his lifelong dream to be the Hokage but deep down he did not want to be it, not like this. Not after all that has just happened. To go into something so unexpectedly made Naruto feel quite uneasy.

"So desu (I see)…" he responded looking down at the ground.

"You could always refuse," Danzo slipped in, "Seeing as an 18 year old child being Hokage could be too big of a responsibility for a Jinchuuriki such as yourself."

Naruto's head quickly snapped up to stare at the elder Danzo. He twitched a little feeling offended by the way Danzo spoke to him but he sedated his anger and stayed calm. He had to stay calm for the sake of himself if anything.

"Well Naruto what do you say? I know that Tsunade had much faith in you and truly believed you would be one of the best Hokages ever," said Homura, "but seeing as everything you have just gone through we would understand if you refused."

"No, I accept. I will be Hokage. I will protect Konoha from anything and I will make sure things are set right."

With that Naruto took his own leave and walked out the door. Iruka had been standing quiet the whole time but decided that he would speak with Naruto later. He felt that this was too much for him to have to go through. It was unorthodox for such a young shinobi to be given such great responsibilities. It is true that Naruto is now a Jounin and he isn't a kid anymore but Iruka still felt at times that Naruto was still his student.

The rest took their leave all expect Jiraiya and Iruka. Jiraiya could tell that Iruka was greatly troubled by the council's decision and knew that he should explain things to Iruka. He casually approached Iruka to have a word with him.

"You have to face the facts Iruka that Naruto is not a little child anymore. Don't worry though he is a very strong person and he will do great things for Konoha."

"But to have gone through what he has. What if Naruto becomes blind by sheer revenge to kill him now that he has done what he has? It just seems too much for him to have to go through."

"Truly that is his choice. All we can do is watch over him and be there for him. Now that he is Hokage we must protect him with our lives for he protects every single life in this village."

"I know Jiraiya. I apologize."

* * *

Naruto leaned across a rail on top of the Hokage's building, his building, looking over all of Konoha. This was his time now to protect this peaceful village. To protect every child, woman, and man. To protect everything that is precious to him. Yet deep inside he felt an urge for revenge. An urge to kill the very one who killed Tsunade and the one who will eventually bring war against Konoha. To witness him kill her like that made Naruto feel such hate for the one he tried so hard to bring back to Konoha. 

A gust of wind swept through caressing gently his orange and black suit. He closed his eyes and thought of everything that has gone on in his life. Could things have actually turned out like this? Naruto pondered this question for awhile. He just couldn't grasp on yet to what has all transpired and he wondered if he ever will.

"I will just have to make the best of things now," he told himself.

Naruto reached into the pouch and pulled out a Konoha headband with a scratch through the leaf symbol. He started at it with his sapphire eyes as if this familiar thing had now become so unrecognizable. The very person he tried so hard to save will now be the very person he must kill. He clenched the headband and processed this thought for awhile. As the wind picked up speed, Naruto slowly loosened his grip on the headband. Then as if it were a leaf, the headband rose from Naruto's hand and flew off with the wind.

"Gomen (sorry), but I have to…Sasuke…goodbye."

Naruto watched as his former comrade's headband flew off into the distance. He knew that more important things must be done for the sake of Konoha and everyone in it. He can no longer be the childish hopeful kid that thinks he can bring someone back that only cares about themselves and only cares for power. This was his goodbye to Sasuke. This was his vow to Konoha that he would protect it with his life no matter who he had to go up against. Naruto heaved a deep sigh.

"Naruto," said a voice behind him.

Naruto took a second to notice that someone called out his name. His daydream was broken so he decided to see who it was that wanted to speak with him. He slowly turned to see something that he quite did not expect. In front of him stood all his friends and Sakura stood at the front apparently the one who had called his name. A smile crept across his face at the sight of this. After the recent tragedy he finally felt a glint of hope and happiness.

"Naruto we stand behind you no matter what," Sakura said giving Naruto a big smile.

"Arigato (thank you) everyone."

* * *

_Hopefully this was somewhat enjoyable. R&R plz, again lend me some helpful advice if you feel I need it to improve the story. I will write more if people like it decently enough._


	2. Chapter 2: A Development

_Note: hopefully I can make something of this story. The action will come momentarily, I just need to set up the events for it. but plz R&R, give me a helping hand if you think it needs improvement. I'm always looking to make things better._

* * *

Chapter 2: A Development 

"ARG! There is just so much work," Naruto complained as more stacks of papers and scrolls were piled onto his desk.

It had only been three days since the official ceremony for the Rokudaime happened. It seemed that Naruto was supplied with at least a year supply of work and this was just stuff coming in from this morning. A few empty cups of ramen were laid about on the floor around his chair from the few overnight stays where he had to finish up things.

"So much, so much, it simply is just so much stuff."

Naruto twitched for a second and proceeded dwindling down the work. As he flipped through some of the papers, he came to a stop on a certain scroll with the insignia of Kazekage. He examined it for a few seconds and gently opened it up. He read through the contents of the scroll a few times to take in all the information it entailed. He placed the open scroll on top of his desk and leaned back in his seat with his hands resting on the back of his head. After taking a little time to collect himself, Naruto called in Shizune.

Shizune came in with a few more documents and was dressed in her usual outfit. She was somewhat relaxed and displayed a little sadness in her face. Tsunade's death had greatly affected her just as much as it did Naruto.

"What can I do for you Naruto-sama?"

"Could you tell me who brought in this scroll right here," he motioned to the open scroll he just read, "The information on it is extremely secret and I want to know why someone didn't deliver it personally."

"Actually someone did deliver it personally. She is still in town taking care of some other things. I could have her come in to speak with you."

"She?"

"Yes, Temari of Sunagakure brought the scroll from the Kazekage this morning."

"So desu (I see). Well please send her in when she is done. I would like to speak with her right away," Shizune bowed and walked to the door to make her leave, "oh and Shizune."

"Yes, Naruto-sama?"

"Could you please inform Team 8 and Kakashi-sensei to come by to see me today?"

Shizune bowed her head in understanding and made her exit.

Naruto leaned back in his seat thinking of when the last time he had seen Gaara. It had been months since he had been deployed on a mission to Sunagakure. He briefly got to see the extremely busy Kazekage. Things have indeed changed since those days though.

But this information that Gaara has sent him is not a congratulations of his new appointing to Hokage or a pleasant letter of greeting. This was top secret military intelligence of the Sound Village. It appeared that Gaara has placed an informant inside Otogakure and the information that was received was a little unnerving. It appeared that the village has been amassing shinobi in key positions for what looks like an attack on Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind).

"What is Sasuke planning?" Naruto could only ponder.

Naruto stood up from his seat and walked over to the window. He looked down at the beautiful and peaceful Konoha. The lingering feeling of war held tightly on his shoulders. Soon this place would not be so peaceful but instead be ravaged in the fruits of war. Naruto's thoughts were abruptly ended by a gently knocking at the door.

"Please come in."

* * *

A pink haired kunoichi gingerly approached the rails above the heads carved into the mountain overlooking all of Konoha. She too felt the heavy sadness of losing Tsunade. Her teacher was gone from this world but most of all a mother-like figure. A calm morning had fallen on Konoha yet the will of fire will continue to turn. 

"Kakashi-sensei do you think Naruto will be alright?" she asked

Behind her stood the famous copy-ninja. His visible eye skimmed the rest of the page of his Make-Out Paradise book and then he quickly shut the book.

"He will be fine Sakura. He may be of the youngest shinobi to ever be appointed Hokage, but you have to remember it is Naruto. It has been his dream to be Hokage his whole life don't ever doubt that he would let Konoha down."

"I know Kakashi-sensei, but I'm worried about Naruto being as it was Sasuke who killed Tsunade-sama."

"Indeed it was. It is Naruto's decision to decide what to do now and it is our duty to follow him in his decision. I am worried too but all we can do is be there for him as well as Konoha. Besides Sakura, you forget that you and he are part of the 3 Neo-Sannin."

"Yeah, but so is Sasuke," she responded very flatly.

The conversation was cut short as a flash of a person appeared in front of Kakashi. Genma pulled the senbon out of his mouth so he could speak clearly.

"Kakashi-san, Hokage-sama would like to see you as quickly as possible," Kakashi bowed his head in understanding and just as quickly as Genma came he was gone.

"Well it seems I must be off then…"

"Kakashi-sensei I want to come to," Sakura cut in.

"Then let's not keep him waiting."

* * *

"Come in!" 

Kakashi and Sakura casually walked to Rokudaime's office. Team 8 with Kurenai and Temari were already present.

"I've called you all in for a very important mission."

"What rank is it?" Kiba interrupted.

"It is going to be an S-rank mission and you will be split into two teams. First and foremost I have received information from the Kazekage that Sound-nin have been collecting forces in several locations around Kaze no Kuni. One team which will consist of Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, and Temari as your escort will check the said locations to determine their numbers and set up," Naruto handed Temari the sheet that gave the projected locations of the enemy, "the other team which will consist of Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura-chan as well will accompany me to Sunagakure for a meeting with the Kazekage and his council.

"Wow looks like someone has really grown-up," Kiba snickered.

"But N-Naruto who is going to be in charge while your gone," Hinata asked.

"Well he should be here shortly," just as Naruto finished his sentence a knock came at the door, "You can come in!"

In walked a man clad in a tactical vest and black clothes. His hair was tied up and it seemed he did not want to be there.

"Finally made it huh crybaby," Temari commented with a little laugh.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru said dully, "What did you need Naruto."

"Well today is your lucky day Shikamaru. You're going to stand in my place as Hokage while I go to Sunagakure," Naruto said with a toothy smile.

"Oh even more troublesome. I should have never woken up today."

As Naruto explained the situation, Shikamaru looked to pay more attention but not too much. He nodded in understanding and knew he had no way out of this.

"Fine I'll do it Naruto, but you will owe me one for this."

"Good then it's settled. We will be leaving right away. You are all dismissed and we will meet at the gates," everyone left all except Shikamaru and Naruto, "Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, Naruto."

"It is possible all of this is a diversion by Sasuke to get me out of Konoha so he could attack. Tighten up security and sent some scout teams around the areas to check for anything out of the ordinary. I more than trust you to take care of Konoha in my absence."

Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement and Naruto made his leave. He walked over and sat in the Hokage's seat. He heaved a deep sigh and thought to himself.

"Man this is very troublesome," was all Shikamaru could think to say.

* * *

Everyone stood waiting at the gates for Naruto to show up; even Kakashi was on time for once but he was reading his dirty book as always. Then suddenly a puff of smoke appeared in front of them and there stood Naruto. He was dressed in similar shinobi attire as Kakashi but the only difference was that Naruto wore a jacket that looked exactly like the one Yondaime would wear. 

"Sorry I'm late guys. I had to stop by Ichikaru's and have some ramen," he said with his toothy smile and his hand on the back of his head.

"Always being the same Naruto," Sakura said while everyone laughed.

Naruto raised his arm and pointed his finger towards the forest with the biggest smile on his face

"And we are off. Remember we must be discrete and once we reach the border we are to split into our respective teams. Let's go."

In a dash all of them went off into the distance. Only a few hundred yards from the gates stood a shadowy figure on a branch. The figure rose up as the Konoha-nin and Sand kunoichi dashed by.

"Seems like Sasuke is making his move. Hm, maybe this time I will finally get my revenge," said the eerie character as he pushed up the glasses on his face and disappeared.

* * *

_Note: Again R&R plz and give me some tips on how to improve this story. I'm hoping to put a little action into the next chapter._


	3. Chapter 3: Things in the Works

_Note: Finally finished the third chapter after being out of town for the past few days. Things are going to start to get more eventful hopefully. Planning to put in a decent fight pretty soon or and even possible pairings could come up. Just have to see how it works out._

* * *

Chapter 3: Things in the Works 

The teams' nodded goodbye as each went their respective ways. Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Kakashi leaped from the trees and began trekking across the desolate sand.

"Hinata check the area around us just in case," Naruto ordered.

Hinata nodded and super activated her Byakugan. She scoped the now disappearing forest behind them and the miles of sand before them. There was no trace of them being followed or anyone coming for an attack from any direction.

"A-all clear N-Naruto."

"Thanks Hinata."

The leaf-nin began picking up their pace for the long trek across Kaze no Kuni. All the while Naruto tried to think of exactly what Sasuke intended to do. It could be an actual attack on Kaze no Kuni or just a diversion like he told Shikamaru. Needless to say Naruto would make sure that Sasuke would utterly fail.

* * *

"This is one of the positions," Temari commented as she raised her hand to halt the group. 

"Ha, let's just take them out now eh Akamaru," said Kiba. The dog barked in agreement.

"No, Naruto-sama told us to assess their locations and to calculate how many of them there are," Shino said very calmly.

"Fine, fine but Naruto didn't say that we couldn't fight if they find us. If we are found then we need to eliminate each one."

"You're always eager to fight Kiba. You have to understand that we have to avoid fights if all possible. If we were to kill all of them then it would make things suspicious. Rokudaime said that we must be discrete," Kurenai explained to Kiba.

Kiba made a little huff in annoyance but could not disagree with the facts. They cannot be seen at all or this mission would be a failure. At first Kiba thought this mission would be pretty easy but Naruto didn't label it an S-rank mission for no reason.

"What's the count," asked Temari.

"There is fourteen in this little area. Let's continue on," Shino answered.

Temari finished plotting the location and writing down the number count. The team took of in as quiet a fashion as possible to their next destination.

* * *

"Naruto it's already nightfall we should probably stop and take a break." 

"You're right Kakashi-sensei. Let's rest for a little while."

The team came to a stop amongst the vast dunes that seemed to go on forever. The starry black sky lay ever so gently on the soft sands. They had been traveling all day and what would have been about a three day trip now looked to be a two day one. They all dropped their packs on the ground and began emptying some contents out to make a fire. Hinata reached into hers pulling out a small box filled with their dinner. She slid off the top and handed everyone some onigiri (rice balls) that were fashioned to look like Naruto.

"You know Hinata usually when we go on missions together you always bring these," Naruto spoke in-between bites of the delicious morsel.

"Gomen (sorry), I-I could always stop."

"No, no Hinata. I really like it and besides they are amazing. You're a great cook," Naruto said with a huge grin on his face.

"T-thank you Naruto," Hinata blushed a little.

While everyone kept eating, Naruto began wondering why Hinata always acted like that around him. It was like she fell into this huge shell that she was scared to come out of. He always thought she was sick when she turned red near him or how she would stutter when she spoke to him or how she would even press her two fingers together. In fact, she has been doing this around him since they were in the academy. Naruto decided he would ask her about all this after they reached Sunagakure. While still in his daydream, Naruto suddenly felt a heavy fist slam him on the head.

"Hey baka (idiot), I've been asking you a question so get out of your daydream," Sakura said seeming a little annoyed, "You know for being Hokage you're not very aware."

"Ow, Sakura-chan that hurt. What do you want?"

"Well I was asking you what is exactly going to happen when we reach Sunagakure."

"You didn't have to hit me for that," said Naruto as he rubbed the bump on his head, "Hm, well let's see…we will be meeting with Gaara and the council to discuss the current situation then we must wait for the others to bring back their information to Sunagakure so we can formulate a plan."

Sakura sat back down on the sand appearing satisfied with the answer. Kakashi smiled gleefully under his mask. No matter how bad things seem the new generation always seemed to bring joy out from somewhere. Kakashi was proud that Konoha was given to such a bright group of shinobi.

"Well since you two are done fighting then maybe we should get going," Kakashi said still smiling.

The leaf-nin packed their things up and continued towards Sunagakure.

* * *

Temari signaled the rest to stop as they came across the last location they were given. It was early in the morning and they had briefly stopped for rest. Shino planted several scout bugs along their path so they could be alerted if someone was close to them. Kiba and Akamaru's noses were in full force as they quickly checked to see how many sound-nin there were. 

"This is strange guys," Kiba said a little confused.

"What is it Kiba," asked Kurenai

"Well each location we've been to have had fourteen shinobi there, but this location right here only has four. And isn't this location off the line of the others."

"He's right," Temari added while she checked the map again, "This is way off the mark that was originally given to us.

"Then this must mean…" Shino's sentence was cut off as several shurikens were launched towards their location.

The shurikens were easily avoided as all of them dropped down to the ground. They all stood close to each other and surveyed the area. As they turned around, they came across four sound-nin standing very casually in a line formation. They were all dressed in attire that was in similar fashion as when they had attacked during the Chuunin exams 5 years ago.

"Hm, seems we actually came across some rats after all eh guys," said a deep-voiced one that stood at the farthest right, "Looks like we get to have some fun after all."

The deep-voiced shinobi motioned for the others to attack but looked to see that they were down on the ground apparently unconscious already. He looked in complete confusion as to how this happened. This guy had underestimate that these "rats" were not weak at all.

"They're trapped in my genjutsu so they probably won't be awake for a good while," Kurenai answered the shinobi's confused look.

The shinobi now noticed that the one speaking was the genjutsu specialist of Konoha, Kurenai Yuhi. He knew he was in over his head now so he knew he had to get away. The sound-nin threw a smoke bomb down to distract them while he made his escape. He looked back as he bounced from branch to branch seemingly able to fool them. As he turned his head back around, it was met with a hard fist to his face. The sound-nin made a loud thud as his body fell onto the ground.

"Hehe, that was too easy," laughed Kiba.

"It's obvious that they were just a scout team. We should probably take them back to Sunagakure for questioning," Shino suggested.

The rest nodded in agreement. They brought the almost-escapee back to where the other sound-nin were all passed out. Kiba, Shino, and Temari each tied them individually so they could carry them to their destination. As they lifted them onto their shoulders, Kiba noticed that something was different.

"Hey guys wasn't there four of them cause we only have three?"

"Kiba-kun is right. One is missing," said Shino.

"And Akamaru and I don't sense him around us at all," said Kiba as Akamaru shook his head in concurrence.

"Well we don't have time to go looking for him, even though he might be able to report this. We will proceed with the mission at hand and bring these three to Sunagakure," Kurenai said as everyone began to move swiftly to Sunagakure.

* * *

Naruto's group was settling into a room that would be their place for the duration of the stay. Everyone was unpacking while Naruto stood looking out the large window of the humble sand home. Down below on the streets he could see some children playing happily. The sight made a smile spread across his face. 

"Hokage-sama since the Kazekage is loaded with work, the meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning," said the sand chuunin who had escorted the group to their sleeping-quarters, "please enjoy Sunagakure and I am sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's no problem at all. Thank you for the hospitality."

The chuunin bowed slightly and made his leave. Naruto continued to look out the window. Just the peaceful looks outside gave Naruto a feeling of nostalgia. Even though this place was far different from Konoha, Naruto felt the same feeling of peace and tranquility. In the distance the setting sun shone beautifully on the horizon.

"Naruto," Sakura said sounding a little concerned.

"I'm alright Sakura-chan. Just enjoying the view…Well I'm going to go out so you guys can go do your own things," and with that Naruto casually walked away from the window and out the door.

"Kakashi-sensei…," Kakashi cut Sakura off with a wave of his hand.

"He is fine Sakura try not to worry. He's just going out for a stroll and we should all do the same. Let's enjoy this night before we have to take care of serious business.

"Hai (yes), Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled.

* * *

The lone sound-nin opened his eyes bit by bit to a hazy image of the forest and a figure standing in front of him. As the image became clearer, he held the sights of a man covered by a brown cloak. This man had smooth silver hair tied back in a ponytail and fashioned a simple set of glasses. The features on his face, especially his left eye, distinctly showed some remnants of the former Orochimaru. The sound-nin tried to get up but the only movement in his body was a few twitches from his legs and arms. 

"W-why can't I move?" the sound-nin said sounding confused.

"I made tears in your arm and leg muscles with my Shosen no Jutsu (Chakra Scalpel)."

"Y-you must be Kabuto Yakushi," as the sound-nin finally recognized him.

"None other," he responded with a grin.

"W-what…do you want with me?" the sound-nin asked breathing heavily from fatigue.

"Oh nothing really. I'm just going to use you for a special technique of mine. That's all," Kabuto laughed maniacally.

Kabuto's hands began to glow a light blue animating chakra around them. He reached forward and placed a hand on the sound-nin's chest. The nin coughed up blood as he felt things around his heart be torn apart. Kabuto just looked on with a smile while the shinobi's life slowly drifted away.

"Now I can get down to business."

* * *

_Note: Working on chapter 4 so I'll update as soon as I can. R&R peeps give me some feedback so I can be motivated_


	4. Chapter 4: The Meeting

_Man finally finished this chapter. been spending most of my time watch the Naruto Hundo on cartoon network. longest chapter I have written so far I think. R&R_

* * *

Chapter 4: The Meeting 

The sand adjusted easily to the gently feet of Naruto. The night was young and Naruto wanted to see how the place has changed since he had been there. Everything seemed to be as it usually did. The food stands held the same old people and the bars were as calm as ever. There may have been important business to attend to tomorrow but Naruto swore he would take it easy this night.

He turned a corner into an alley way to come to a dead end. Instead of turning around, Naruto took a few quick steps up the building and flipped onto the roof. He heaved in a large amount of the night air and let it out a huge sigh. A smile spread across his face as he began jumping from rooftop to rooftop. A back flip here and a side dash there, Naruto was making his own little playground with the sandy rooftops.

As he landed so softly on one rooftop, something grabbed his attention. Sitting at the other end dangling her happy slender legs off the edge was Hinata. She had not noticed that he landed behind her. Naruto decided that this would be the opportune time to talk to her.

"Beautiful night eh Hinata," as he walked towards her.

Startled by the unexpected presence, Hinata quickly jumped up and fired a kunai in Naruto's direction. He easily moved to the side and grabbed the kunai's handle. It did not shock him but instead made a little smirk crawl across his face.

"Oh N-Naruto," she looked a little embarrassed at the action she took, "I-I'm so sorry."

"Daijobu des (It's alright) Hinata, I would be startled to if someone was suddenly behind me," he chuckled to himself a little.

She gingerly sat back down on the edge of the building as Naruto came over and sat next to her. Her face turned a little crimson as Naruto made himself comfortable right next to her. Naruto looked to notice her beat red face only to smile his toothy smile. She quickly looked down and began twiddling her index fingers.

"That was really good aim Hinata," said Naruto as he placed the kunai behind him.

"A-Arigato (thank you) Naruto," she blushed a little more.

"Hinata…could I ask you something?"

"Um…sure Naruto," as she looked very interested at his query.

"It's something I've always wanted to figure out. Why do you act so different around me Hinata?"

"W-what do you mean Naruto?" fidgeting a little.

"Well whenever you're around me you always seem to get nervous, you will sometimes press your fingers together like you did right now, or you will sometimes turn red when I'm near you. Why do you do that?"

"Um…well…uh…uh…you see…um…" as she pressed her two fingers together.

"Whatever you want to say Hinata you can tell me."

"D-demo (but) it's just really hard to."

"Ok so what could I do to make it easier for you?"

"Um, you c-could uh stand behind me c-cause…um…it would be easier if I w-wasn't looking at you."

Naruto looked a little confused but he still got up and stood behind her as she had suggested. She looked down at her hands which were now on her lap. Hinata knew she had no way out of this so she would have to go through with it no matter what. She took a deep breath before she confessed to Naruto the reasons for her behavior.

"T-the reason I act differently around you N-Naruto is because…well…um…it's because I-I…like you Naruto."

There was a calm silence after she finally admitted her feelings for Naruto. A gentle breeze swept by, flowing through her waist-long silky dark blue hair. She grew a little more embarrassed at the fact that Naruto had not responded to her. She sadly got up from her spot but was shocked to feel a warm embrace engulf her as Naruto's arms wrapped around her. She noticed that her arms had voluntarily returned the hold as happiness swelled in her heart. Was Naruto really doing this? This must be a dream she thought.

"What took you so long Hinata?" Naruto said as they held each other under the moonlight sky.

* * *

The lone sound-nin stepped into the camp in the center of a grove of trees. He tried to make his entrance as inconspicuous as possible. It seemed a successful enough infiltration. He sat down on a log in front of the campfire. 

"Hey you!"

A brute of a man approached him. He was wearing a light purple tactical vest with matching purple attire under it. The man's face wasn't covered up so it was easy to see the several scar marks along his cheeks and forehead. The sound-nin stood up at attention.

"Hm, Hibiki what took you so long to get back and where are the other three?"

"Sir the other three spanned out and went to different bases. I was told to come here."

"Ah…well did you come across anything in the scout search?"

"No sir. Nothing at all."

"Very well then. Get yourself some rest cause we have things to do tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" he bowed in compliance.

The brute man huffed a little and went back to his tent. Hibiki viewed the surroundings around him. The trees went circular around the camp like it was watching over its children. The ground was worn down by the constant feet that had trekked on it. There were five brown tents scattered about holding the unaware sound shinobi of the there was indeed an intruder afoot. An evil grin spread across Hibiki's face. This was all too easy.

"Hehe, step two is down now I just need to get the information I need," he whispered to himself, "using this body is really going to be very helpful."

The Hibiki body felt a sudden twitch. It looked to be the body was running out of use. He clutched onto his chest as if he felt pain. The trip from where Kabuto killed him to the camp here was farther than he expected. Time was dwindling. Hibiki looked at the humble little tents sleeping soundly in their well kept little spots. The only big decision was which one to go into first.

The one that called to him most was the smallest of tents a few feet away. It was the most welcoming of the tents and it would be the easiest one to take care of. He casually walked to the tiny tent and went inside. It only took a few seconds to hear the blood-curdling screams permeate from the tent out to the rest of the camp. The oblivious shinobi did not see this coming. The rest of the squad quickly jumped up from their cots laid out on the dry floor and rushed out.

Outside the sound-nin witnessed a bone-chilling sight. Out of the smallest tent came the murdering Hibiki. His clothes were drenched in blood and his deadly kunai was yearning for more. The sound-nin each pulled out their kunai and charged the murderous imposter. Hibiki easily side-stepped the first guy, making a clean slash across the neck. Another one attacked from behind only to be struck down. Seeing their comrades be easily taken out, the rest decided to attack all at once. Hibiki dodged each of their attacks with ease while landing severe gashes to the all the attackers vital parts. The last two surviving sound-nin retreated back releasing several shurikens. The sounds of metal repelling metal rung through the air, as Hibiki blocked every single shuriken. The bloody-clothed Hibiki reached into his side pouch pulling out a second kunai. In a quick flash, he stood between the two hopeless attackers. With a quick swipe of his arms they both fell to the ground.

Hibiki heaved a sigh of relief. This was way too easy. Suddenly Hibiki started gasping for air as the brute man, which was apparently the commander, held him in a chokehold. His kunai fell to the floor as he struggled to breathe. The brute tightened his hold squeezing the last drops of life out until Hibiki's arms just flailed down.

"Dead now aren't…"

The brute man's eyes grew wide as he felt a kunai with a curved tip pressed hard against his throat.

"See maybe next time you should make sure the person your killing isn't already dead. My Shikon no Jutsu (Dead Soul Technique) really does work wonders in situations like these."

The man quickly swung his arm up to bat away Kabuto's deadly knife. Then he proceeded to turn around to deliver a blow but was surprised to see a glowing hand rapidly hit him in several spots in his arms, legs, and chest. In a display of complete inferiority compared to the intruder, the brute man fell to the floor helplessly.

"Now you will give me the information I came here for and I might let you live through this."

"Ha-ha, you…think I would ever tell you anything. Go ahead and kill me," he chokingly laughed not taking Kabuto seriously.

"I figured you would say that but I can do far worse things to you than kill you. I don't want to have to force you to give me what I came for but if I must…"

Kabuto's hand again shrouded with chakra. He began pressing down on the man's chest. The next thing that came from the man's mouth was deathly screams of agony. The pain was too much for him. It was enough for the man to give Kabuto what he wanted.

"Alright!!! I-I'll t-tell you," he stuttered from the pain.

"Good thinking. First question: Why are all of you stationed out here? Is it a diversion for Konoha or is it a legitimate attack on Sunagakure?"

"It's neither…we were all sent here as a diversion for both villages…ugh…all of this was just a means of a lookout and protection."

"Alright. Second question then: Protection and a lookout for what?"

"I don't kn…ugh…I can't."

"Now, now you don't want me to increase the torturing," Kabuto said raising his hand over the man's chest.

"Ok! This is…so that Sasuke-sama could feel more comfortable…and assured that his meeting with Iwagakure goes without interference."

"Hm, so he's planning to form an ally with Tsuchi no Kuni (Land of Earth)," Kabuto said out loud to himself, "Well would Sasuke happen to still be in Iwagakure then?"

"Ugh…yes since we haven't been dismissed from our posts. L-look I've told you all I know please let me go."

Kabuto rose up from beside the man and reached under his cloak. Out of it came a good sized scroll. He opened and reviewed the contents of it appearing more amused as he looked at it longer. A grin grew across his face.

"Looks like I have an open spot for a man who's in his early thirties and you look to fit the profile. It's a good thing though because I really don't like my collection to have an empty spot."

* * *

"Naruto how long have you had feelings for me?" Hinata softly asked 

Naruto and Hinata had been strolling around Sunagakure for some time now. They had been talking endlessly throughout the night. Now that Hinata revealed her feelings to Naruto it was much easier to talk to him without getting too nervous or stuttering. Both of them were enjoying being together now that they knew how they felt about each other.

"Huh, let's see now," as he scratched his head, "I started having feelings for you a little after we had defeated Akatsuki…so a little over two years now."

Hinata's pearly white eyes widened. She has liked him since their academy days which had been a really long time but for Naruto to like her for such a time was surprising to her. To think Naruto would feel the same for her as she did for him.

"Um, why though?" she asked wondering.

"What do you mean why Hinata? You're so kind and caring. Even though you would act weird sometimes, I enjoyed that you were so different from everyone else. You stand out more than anyone even though you try to shy away to the back. I just started having feelings naturally but I was never brave enough to tell you," She laughed at this last remark. Naruto looked at her a little puzzled, "What's so funny Hinata?"

"Oh, I just never thought you would be scared to do anything. It's just funny that you could never say anything. I felt that I was the only one too scared to tell you but now I know. It feels wonderful that I wasn't the only one."

"Well I can't believe that I was so dumb to not even notice. You made it so clear yet I never got the idea. I'm glad that I know now though," he smiled.

"I'm happy that you feel the same…" Hinata cut herself off.

She had felt something locked onto her hand so see she had to see what it was. Both of them looked down to see that sometime during their walk they had joined hands. Hinata quickly pulled her hand away and pressed her index fingers together. Her face grew a bright red. Naruto also began to blush. Then inch by inch they stepped closer together and interlocked their hands together again. They continued to walk; smiling at each other, both of them wishing the night would never end.

* * *

"Can we trust that he will hold to his word Tsuchikage-sama," asked the attendant clad in a brown noble robe. 

Across from the attendant sat a man wearing a white robe with brown trimmings. His hat with the Earth symbol covered his face. The Tsuchikage twiddled his fingers a little. His meeting had currently concluded for the night and tomorrow they would write an official statement of an alliance with Otogakure.

"The boy may be young but he seemed convincing and sincere enough. I'm sure he would not betray an alliance with us. Besides ever since the Third Great Shinobi War this country has not been the same. This could be an opportunity for us to get our revenge and prove that this country is not so weak."

"But…"

"Do not worry. We will reassess this with the council tomorrow. But all things aside the people of this land have a certain distaste for Hi no Kuni (Land of fire). Most would not be against us going to war but then again some will. Maybe even a few members of the council."

"I see Tsuchikage-sama but do you think the council will accept his offer."

"Yes I do. Two-thirds of the members had a decision in going into the last war. I myself was a jounin during that war so I would not be against it. I also would not doubt that Konoha is a push over, especially with Sunagakure as an ally, demo (but) hearing all the things that Sasuke boy has done I feel that he would be a powerful ally. We will see how it goes though."

* * *

Morning had finally come in Sunagakure. Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and Kakashi had already taken their seats in the council room. Ten members filled the rest of the seats around the large round table. Straight across from Naruto sat Gaara. He was wearing his Kazekage robes and his hair was short and unkempt. Looking on were the statues of the previous Kazekages. 

"It's been awhile Gaara. I just wish I could be here in better conditions," said Naruto.

Gaara nodded in agreement. This was indeed a pressing situation. Baki, who was sitting next to Gaara, stood up to present the situation to the council.

"Now we all know that Otogakure has been forming several squads along the border of Kaze no Kuni. Border security has been increased to account for this. Still we have called everyone here to decide what should be done to deal with the situation."

"I myself have ordered a team to assess the exact numbers and locations of the sound-nin," Naruto added in.

"Baki we understand the situation well enough but the council agrees that we must avoid a full scale war with Otogakure at all cost," commented an elderly council member.

"I agree but we cannot just let things sit as they are," Baki slightly protested.

"Hm…what do you think Gaara?" asked Naruto.

Gaara sat quietly thinking of the circumstances. He knew that war would be a big problem and too drastic of a thing to do right now, yet if they were attacked they would have no choice in the matter.

"Something must be done about the sound-nin on the borders," he said in his monotone voice, "An attack on them though would more than like lead to war. The village cannot afford to have more shinobi sent out for this problem. The safety of the village is the important thing here."

"Exactly Kazekage-sama. It would be foolish to send shinobi to attack," said another council member.

"Something has to be done. We can't just sit here talking in circles," Naruto said a little irritated, "I for one do not want war for the both of us but if Sasuke pushes it that far then we have no choice. Yes nothing can be done at the moment but after my team returns here with information we should be able to come up with a definite plan."

"Might I say something," Kakashi requested. Gaara nodded his head to give him the floor, "The problems are of course obvious. Attack and we cause problems. Don't attack and it could give them an advantage. The most important thing to figure out here is why they are on the borders. It seems by now that they would have taken some course of action. You say your border security has been tightened so you would figure a report would have come in if activity was increasing. The same goes for the possibility of an attack on Konoha seeing as the Hokage is here with us and not there but that has not happened either."

"So what are you thinking then Kakashi-sensei," asked Sakura.

"That maybe the sound-nin are there for another reason besides attacking one of us."

"You know when you think about it there would be more activity if they were going to attack," Naruto scratched his head thinking, "It is possible Sasuke could be up to something else."

"But what would that be?" the elder council member asked.

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by a sand jounin coming into the council room. He approached Gaara speaking to him quietly enough that only Gaara himself could hear.

"So desu (I see). You can send them in."

Everyone turned their attention as several people walked into the room.

* * *

_hope you liked the chapter. already working on the next one so it should be up in a few days hopefully since im about to start college in two days! YAY!!! but R&R plz give me extra motivation to keep this thing going._


	5. Chapter 5: Close Encounters

_Finally finished this chapter. Been very busy and sorry for the wait. please enjoy. R&R you peeps._

* * *

Chapter 5: Close Encounters 

"Well you guys have perfect timing," said Kakashi.

Temari and Team 8 casually made their way into the room dragging behind three beaten down shinobi. They were all conscious as their painful groaning indicated.

"Sorry it took so long. We came across some obstacles as you can tell," Kurenai pointed to the three incapacitated sound-nin.

"Maybe now we can get some answers," said Naruto.

Naruto rose from his seat and made his way to the 3 sound-nin. He looked each one of them over like a kid who has just found something they've never seen before. He tapped on one man's forehead indicating that he would ask this one the questions. Naruto opened his mouth but before he could speak Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Shinpai shinaide (Don't worry) Naruto, I'll take care of the questioning. Time is crucial here and I have a way of getting them to speak without any problems."

Kakashi kneeled down in front of the battered sound shinobi. He then raised his arm to pull up his headband that covered his blood red sharingan eye. The sound-nin warily lifted his eyes to meet Kakashi's. He was fixated with the red eye and quickly lost himself in it.

"Maindojimon no jutsu (Mind Interrogation Technique)." Instantly the man's body stiffened up. He was almost zombie-like with the way he now stared back at Kakashi. His eyes grew wide yet very empty like his mind was being poked at through them, "Tell me why Sasuke has all of you posted along the border of Kaze no Kuni?"

"Sasuke-sama ordered us to stand post while he took care of business," he answered like a dull drone.

"What business?"

"Only team leaders were told of the business. We were just told that Sasuke-sama would be visiting Iwagakure."

Kakashi looked away from the dull shinobi towards Naruto who had a stern look on his face. Kakashi knew he needed nothing else from the sound-nin because it was obvious enough what Sasuke was actually doing and everyone else could deduct it as well.

"Kazekage-sama you can have them taken away now. I don't need to question them for anything else. It should be plain enough to see what Sasuke is doing now."

"Huh?" Kiba was slightly confused.

"Sasuke is trying to create an alliance with Tsuchi no Kuni. He used all of these sound shinobi as a safety precaution. While we focused all our time on whether or not they were going to attack, Sasuke took his time negotiating why Tsuchi no Kuni should ally with Otogakure against us."

Naruto's fist slammed roughly onto the circular table. His thoughts bounced around erratically. Damn that Sasuke was the phrase that played his mind. On one hand he could just try going after Sasuke, which is what he really wanted to do, but on the another hand being the Hokage called for him to be level headed and think rationally.

"We should head back to Konoha and decided what to do from there," Naruto finally said, "but could I ask for a request from you Gaara?"

"What?" he asked in his monotone voice.

"Since these things are happening it won't be as easy for us to come back and forth as easily as right now. But if we had a representative from Sunagakure temporarily living in our village it would make things a little easier for the both of us. So I'm asking if Temari-san would be that person."

"Then Temari shall accompany you back to Konohagakure. She will relay all information that is delivered to her and she will be represented as our village ambassador."

"Then it's settled. We should all be heading back now. Thank you for having me here," Naruto bowed his head to Gaara and the council and with the rest of guys left the chambers.

"Kankuro?"

"Yes, Gaara?"

"Have patrols at the edge of the village. We must have constant guard if Sasuke ever sends a surprise attack."

Kankuro nodded his head and left to begin preparations. The other council members also began making there leave as well. The only one that could not get up from his seat though was Gaara. Gaara sat there unmoving and unwavering. He knew this was only going to lead to one thing. Yet another great shinobi war, but one the likes had never seen.

* * *

"What the hell is taking him so long?!" 

"Why won't you just shut up Suigetsu? You've been complaining ever since we've been here. Sasuke-kun will come when he's finished," said the agitated Karin.

"Hmph, well you can't blame me for getting bored. We have been doing nothing for the past three days."

Indeed Team Hebi had been waiting around for some time while Sasuke attended the meetings with Iwagakure, but today was more taxing on their patience. They had been told to wait outside the firm stone gates of Iwagakure since morning. Suigetsu spent his time complaining along with Karin constantly yelling at him. Juugo sat quietly on a boulder looking at the birds dig in the ground for food.

"If I had never made that promise to Sasuke, I would not be waiting here right now," Suigetsu commented.

"I never said you couldn't go," said a still stolid voice.

The three teammates turned to see Sasuke standing calmly in front of the gates. The slight breeze caressed his black cloak and the sun danced on his raven hair.

"Let's go," as he continued walking past them towards the vast forested mountains that lay in front of them.

"Wait a minute so what happened?" asked Suigetsu.

"We have an agreement, but lets not stay to chat anymore we have to move."

Karin was already walking beside Sasuke while Juugo popped off of the boulder and followed them. Suigetsu let out an annoyed groan as he yanked his sword from out of the ground.

"Damn now we have to walk all the way back!"

* * *

The leaves rustled as Kabuto dashed from tree branch to tree branch. There was no time to go slow if he wanted to reach Sasuke. If there ever was a chance to get to him easily this would be the time. Kabuto only hoped he would be able to manage to get him off guard. 

"You're already too late," said a dark eerie voice.

Kabuto jumped down to the ground and came to a halting stop. The unexpected voice brought a slight shiver down his spine. The voice was very familiar to him even though he had not heard it in so long.

"I-Itachi…," as he turned around to the direction of the voice.

The deadly S-class criminal stood straight in front him. Itachi stood in a long black cloak similar to that of his former Akatsuki one minus the red clouds though. The only visible thing that remained from his Akatsuki days was the ring on his right ring finger. Kabuto was greatly confused as to why Itachi would be here. The last time he had seen him was when Akatsuki still existed.

Kabuto straightened out his nervous demeanor to a more casually one. A smirk spread across his face as he pushed up his glasses.

"So what brings you here Itachi? Coming after me or something?"

"No," Itachi answered flatly.

"Oh, Sasuke then huh? Why though?"

"It's none of your concern," he responded coldly.

"Hm, fine."

Quickly Kabuto pulled out a kunai and charged the infamous shinobi head one. With a sliding swoop, he swung his arm slicing through Itachi's midsection. As the kunai dug through him, Itachi's body burst into a hoard of crows. Kabuto swiftly came to a halt and readied his kunai again.

"Should have figured you already cast genjutsu," he commented, "but I shouldn't have a problem with it besides your not willing to use your mangekyo sharingan to end this quickly. In fact you can't even turn off your sharingan can you? You're practically blind without."

Kabuto swung around from his position launching his kunai in the direction. A clang of metal echoed through the woods as Itachi blocked the projectile with a kunai of his own. Itachi also knew all too well that he could not afford to have this meaningless fight. His vision had gone so bad that he almost always had to have his sharingan on now. It also was very strenuous on him to have to being using so much chakra so often. He needed to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.

In mid-thought, Kabuto jumped towards Itachi throwing a hard kick to his face which was easily blocked by the slight raise of an arm. Kabuto then dropped to the ground giving a sweep kick with his other leg at Itachi. Again Itachi easily avoided it by flipping over Kabuto.

"Gaton: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)"

Itachi blew a huge flaming ball towards the unsuspecting Kabuto. The ball easily consumed the opponent. As Itachi looked on, he felt a sharp object dig into his back. Behind him sound an unscathed Kabuto holding a kunai into his back.

"Hmm…You've gotten faster," he remarked, "but it wasn't fast enough."

Itachi again turned into several crows. This time the crows flew around and shot towards Kabuto. As they got closer to him, they began morphing into shurikens. Metal clanged as Kabuto deflected each one. Suddenly a flash of black appeared in front of Kabuto along with a slamming fist into his stomach. Then a strong kick landed into the side of his face making Kabuto crash into a large tree nearby.

"Gaton: Hosenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique)"

Several small balls of flames came surging towards the tree Kabuto was leaning on. Without being able to get a breather from the few hits, Kabuto lunged his body out of the oncoming attacks way falling onto the ground. As Kabuto rose up from the ground, Itachi quickly ran over launching a kick into Kabuto's side. Itachi continued pounding the grounded Kabuto with a series of kicks but as the final kick came in, Kabuto quickly reacted by grabbing onto Itachi's leg.

Inside Kabuto could feel the blood flowing and his chakra increasing. His eyes began growing red as if they were irritated or bloodshot. 'Damn I can't release that power here' he thought to himself. He willed himself to calm down. He had to suppress his true strength for his own safety.

Kabuto released the leg and while jumping away he threw several kunai towards Itachi. Itachi stood still as the kunai hit his body. Kabuto looked on as a few drops of blood dripped from Itachi's body onto the floor.

"Figures I would be fighting a shadow clone. Your still cautious as ever Itachi. Too bad your old partner isn't here to help you."

"He is still recovering from the fight with Guy," he responded flatly.

"It's been over a year since he fought Guy and he is still recovering from it. At least Guy was able to do that much even though Kisame was able to kill him."

"I don't have time for this."

"Not even for an old friend," Kabuto said sarcastically, "and here I was thinking that I had actually got to you but then again it's usually some genjutsu or shadow clone that keeps you out of a real confrontation. No matter, I just hope that when I finally find Sasuke he won't be a coward like his brother."

"Foolish as ever," and in a puff of smoke Itachi was gone.

Kabuto kneeled down to gather his breath. It angered him a little that he just missed Sasuke but something else was more pressing on his mind. That fact that Itachi was here was somewhat of an oddity. Why would he be here? More so, Why would he be looking for Sasuke? These questions bounced around Kabuto's mind but he could not get the answers at least not now.

"Looks like I'll have to keep an eye on him now too."

* * *

"Can we take a break Sasuke?" Suigetsu complained. 

"No."

"Come on we've been traveling non-stop for the past two days. I just need a few minutes of rest."

"Fine," responded Sasuke as he leaped off the tree branch onto the ground, "only for a few minutes then we continue on."

The rest of Hebi did likewise. Suigetsu heaved a sigh of relief as he placed his sword on the ground making a big thud sound. He pulled a canister of water off of his waist and began gulping it down.

"You always slow us down Suigetsu," Karin jeered at him.

"You're the weakest one Karin so I would say you slow us down," he snapped back.

Juugo looked on as Suigetsu and Karin bickered back and forth as they always did. A slight smile grew on his face. The past three years he has spent with them has been an interesting life experience. The day that Sasuke had set him free he thought that it was a big mistake but lately he felt that it was perhaps one of the best things that could ever happen to him. Inside he was happy.

He turned his attention from the bickering two to Sasuke who was sitting on a rock away from the others. Sasuke was staring off in deep thought. Juugo slowly walked up to him intending to see what was really on his mind.

"Are you sure you want to do all this Sasuke-kun?" he asked.

"I have to do this Juugo," Sasuke answered as he looked off into the distance.

"Even though it is your former village and home?"

"Even so. It has to be done."

"So desu (I see)…," Juugo softly said.

"Shinpai shinaide (Don't worry) Juugo you'll know why when the time comes."

Juugo and Sasuke noticed that the bickering had abruptly stopped as Karin quickly rushed over to Sasuke. A look of urgency covered her face and a feeling of concern was growing.

"Sasuke-kun we have a problem!"

"Nani (what)?" he asked as he turned and faced her.

"There are several chakra levels near us," she answered hurriedly.

"How many are there?"

"Eight of them and I think one of them is Naruto."

"Let's go everyone. We don't need any confrontations right now."

* * *

Sniff! Sniff! Akamaru's nose was working like crazy. Kiba noticed that his companion was growing a little tenser the more and more they moved. 

"You smell it too don't you Akamaru. It has to be him," Kiba picked up his pace to get to Naruto who was in the front of the 8-man squad, "Naruto I'm picking up Sasuke's scent close to here."

A stern look formed on Naruto's face. Personally he just wanted to rush where Sasuke was and end things now but Naruto knew that would only cause a bigger problem rather than be a solution. It was not the way to go about things especially now.

"Thanks for telling me Kiba but we will just continue on back to the village."

"Demo (but)…"

"The village must come first. Remember now I'm the Hokage not the childish little kid who goes into things blindly," Naruto said flashing a wide smile to Kiba.

'Naruto you have really grown up' Kakashi said to himself. This brought a smile to the sensei's face. Kakashi knew that Naruto was trying his hardest to hold himself from going after Sasuke but it made him proud to see Naruto hold responsibilities higher than a personal feud with his former teammate.

"Come on everyone lets pick up the pace. We're almost home!" Naruto happily shouted.

* * *

_Just going to say any more english translations for japanese words that I use will be put in the auther notes at the beginning from now on as well as english translations at the end for jutsus that are used in the chapter. Please excuse any crappy names that I make for new jutsus I'm not really good at it but if someone could possibly help me with that it would be great. hope you enjoyed this chapter. Going to put up the next one as soon as I'm done_


	6. Chapter 6: Peaceful Times

_here's chapter 6. somewhat of a filler chapter. R&R_

_yatta - hooray, gomenasai - sorry, onegai - please, yakusoku - I promise, so deshu ne - I suppose, arigato - thank you, hai - yes, oyasumi - good night, daijobo deska - are you alright_

* * *

Chapter 6: Peaceful Times

The morning sun bathed the homely buildings of Konoha. Many people were outside enjoying such a beautiful day. Adults conversed and several children were playing ninja. The clouds floated along without a worry in the world. But all Shikamaru could do was sulk and look on from the open office window. He was already extremely tired of being a temporary Hokage after a week of work and he wondered when Naruto would return so he could go back to doing nothing.

"Such a drag," he sighed.

Shikamaru made his way back to the chair and lazily turned around to the seemingly endless stacks of papers on the desk and around it. He cringed at the sight of them. Shikamaru reached over to pull one piece of paper off the mission requests pile. He looked it over somewhat intently but at the same time not caring what it said.

"How's it going there!?"

Startled by the voice, Shikamaru jumped clear off his seat crashing down onto the desk. The papers flew every which direction with a fumbling Shikamaru reaching for what he could only making it worse.

"Oh, sorry to scare you Shikamaru," Naruto chuckled.

"N-Naruto how did you get in here?"

"I saw the window was open so I thought I would surprise you, but I didn't think you would be a little scaredy-cat," he continued laughing.

"So this means everyone is back then," Shikamaru stood up dusting his clothes off, "what a relief, I don't have to do anymore work."

Shikamaru began heading for the door but was stopped by the sounds of Naruto clearing his throat.

"What now?" Shikamaru slowly turned drooping down from the idea of him having to do more work.

"I have just one more thing for you to do and then you can go back to your usual cloud gazing. Temari-san has returned with us and I need you to be her escort for the day. Show her around the village."

"I seriously have to spend the day with that girl. Ugh so troublesome."

"Aw come on Shikamaru it won't be that bad," Naruto toothily smiled. He approached Shikamaru and teasingly gave him an elbow nudge, "Besides I'm sure you'll enjoy it since you like her so much."

Shikamaru's eyes shot wide open, "No way!!! No, no, no!!! That girl you must be crazy!!"

Naruto laughed as Shikamaru protested his comment. It was obvious that he was in denial by all the head and hand shaking Shikamaru was making.

"Hahaha, right," Naruto winked at him.

Shikamaru moped his way out the door and left Naruto to his much needed duties. Naruto gathered the scattered papers back into their respective piles. After organizing things as best he could, he walked over to the open window.

"It's such a beautiful day. I only wish I didn't have this much work to do"

Suddenly a thought ran through Naruto's mind that brought a huge smile to his face, "I have an idea!"

* * *

The trees spread for miles along the soft beaten ground. Vibrant colors of green and brown filled the serene landscape. A small clearing slept comfortably in the forest. Among it was a lonesome cabin standing firm and well hidden from the outside world. Behind it ran a gentle river clear as the sky.

The peaceful silence was quickly interrupted by a loud crashing sound. In front of a few cut trees stood a shirtless and battered Kisame. His pants were ragged from the constant rigors of his daily training. He flung his trusty Samehada back up on his shoulder and proceeded to strike at another tree. The sword began digging into the tree but was quickly retracted as the struggling Kisame used it to hold himself up. His heavy panting barely reflected the exhaustion he felt on the inside.

"You shouldn't push it too much Kisame," echoed a voice behind him.

"Ha, just barely getting here Itachi and your already telling me to take a break."

"If you exhaust yourself too much you could kill yourself."

Kisame dropped his sword to the ground and straightened his posture, "Thanks for the concern but I'm fine."

He carefully walked his way past Itachi towards the house. He positioned himself against the wooden logged wall and gradually lowered himself to sit on the soft ground.

"If it wasn't for that damn Guy causing damage to some of my chakra lines I wouldn't be having such a difficult time," Kisame huffed.

"Shows what a determined sensei would do to save his student. Especially a person like Guy"

"That's in the past I guess; anyways, did you get to him?"

"I just missed Sasuke but had a run-in with Kabuto," Itachi answered blankly.

"That idiot is still out and about," he grunted, "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"He isn't of importance. It would be a waste of time."

"Hmm, well what is the plan now then? Are you going to go see the Kyuubi kid?"

"Soon," he answered vaguely.

"You should at least turn off your sharingan and rest for now. You may try and hide it Itachi but I can see that you're drained of chakra."

Itachi released his red eyes to their original black hollowness. He fumbled his hands around at the blurry shapes around him trying to find a rock to lean on. Slowly he was able to find one to position himself on. He leaned back on it letting out a soft sigh.

"Should we even continue doing this even with the condition of your eye sight?" Kisame asked.

"It can't be helped. I may not have the sight I use to but we still must precede on," Itachi softly said, "Do you remember what you have to do?"

"Hehe, yeah I do but I'll leave after you…It's weird to say but I think I'll miss this little place after being here for a year," he said tapping his hand on the little shack, "How long is it going to take for you?"

"A few months, until then we won't be in contact. Once we're finished we will meet at the Valley of the End."

"Hm, seems fitting. After all…That's where this all began."

* * *

"Yattaa!!!"

Naruto soared off of the top of the Hokage's mansion. The wind blew through his blonde hair. His white jacket with flamed edges at the bottom rustled in the cool breeze. The closer he got to the ground the more spins and flips he did in mid-air. Naruto hit the ground with a soft thud to see hoards of papers fly all around him.

"What are you doing Naruto-sama!!!?," Shizune shrilled.

"Gomenasai Shizune, I was just going out to enjoy this beautiful day," leaning back and scratching his head.

"You should be inside doing your work," she scolded him while she picked up the papers, "I swear sometimes you could be just as lazy with your work as Tsunade-sama would be."

"Hehehe, I'm still doing my work it's just that I wanted to enjoy the day also," he chuckled.

"And how would you be doing that?" she irritatingly asked.

"Just take a look up there."

Shizune stopped picking up the papers for a second and looked up towards Naruto's office. From the window she could see another Naruto smiling and waving at her. An angered look fell across her face.

"You're using a shadow clone to do your work. You shouldn't be using your skills like that."

"Onegai!!! Just this once. Yakusoku, I'll never do it again," he pleaded by giving her a little pouty face and putting his hands together.

"So deshou ne," she sighed, "you deserve at least one day of rest after all that you've done."

"OH ARIGATO!!!" Naruto hugged her making her drop the papers again.

Naruto kicked up a storm of dust as he zoomed off into the village. After the dust cleared Shizune proceeded to picking up the rest of the papers. 'It's really good to still see him have that energy' she thought to herself. Naruto's happy face brought a soft smile to hers.

* * *

Shikamaru and Temari walked side-by-side along the stoned-floor street. One or two trees slightly hung over the wooden fences. A slow cool breeze danced across the smooth walkway and played with the lively green leaves.

"You know this town isn't half bad," said Temari.

"I say it can be very troublesome at times," Shikamaru commented dully.

"That's because your too lazy to do anything crybaby," she teased, "But you can't tell me that you haven't enjoyed showing me around the village."

"Ugh…" he quietly said.

Shikamaru changed his focus from the conversation to being dragged into a daydream. Clouds don't have to focus their time on these kinds of things. Yet he knew that he was having a good time with Temari but he would never admit to it. It's not his style to do so. As they walked farther, Shikamaru had a weird feeling that someone was looking over them.

"How's it going?"

Temari and Shikamaru came to a stop. Shikamaru slowly raised his head up to see where the voice came from. Not a few inches from his face was the grinning Naruto hanging off a tree branch.

"Whhhhaaaa!" as Shikamaru shouted falling back onto the ground.

"Hehehe, that's twice today Shikamaru!" Naruto laughed.

"It's not funny," Shikamaru groaned rubbing the sore spot on his bottom as he stood up.

"I thought it was pretty funny," Temari giggled

"So how has the day been for you two lovebirds?" teased Naruto.

Temari blushed at the question while Shikamaru waved his hands no to them being lovebirds.

"Not lovebirds huh then why are you blushing Shikamaru?"

"I'm not blushing it's just…um…uh…hot out here."

Temari and Naruto both laughed at the lame excuse. It was quite obvious that Shikamaru was lying. The way he fidgeted made it even more evident.

"You know Naruto speaking of lovebirds we heard about you and Hinata-san," Temari commented, "So where you planning on taking her for the first date?"

Slightly blushing Naruto responded, "Hehehe, um I actually never thought about that. Now that you think of it we should as least have our first date tonight."

"You could take her to go eat ramen," Shikamaru unexcitingly joked.

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA SHIKAMARU!" yelled Naruto releasing his chakra held feet from the tree, "I should go see her and ask right away!"

"I wasn't being…," Shikamaru paused to see Naruto had already taken off, "…serious."

"You know what I'm pretty hunger right no so how about we go on a date to get something to eat," asked the blushing Temari.

"Ughhh…alright let's go."

* * *

"Aaachoo," Hinata softly sneezed.

"Looks like someone is talking about you Hinata-san," Ino commented.

Hinata, Ino, and Sakura were spending their lunch time at the much frequented barbecue restaurant, mostly by Choji. Each of them already had their fill and were spending the rest of their lunch chitchatting about things that were going on in life which was mainly about the whole Hinata and Naruto thing.

"I still can't believe he actually told you. I never would have guessed that Naruto liked you Hinata," Ino commented.

"I was surprised too," responded Hinata.

"Well I'm glad for you two. You've liked Naruto for so long and it looks like it was worth the wait," smiled Sakura.

Just as Sakura had finished speaking, an ecstatic Naruto burst into the restaurant. He joyfully trotted over to the table where the girls were. A huge grin was on his face while he stood by the sitting Hinata. He gently reached down and held Hinata's hands in his.

"I had the most perfect idea today and I wanted to see if you would be up for it," Naruto cheerfully said as Hinata looked up at him with her pearly eyes, "How about we go out on our first date today?"

Hinata's face grew a bright red. The sound of a first date made her extremely excited, "O-ok Naruto-kun I would like that very much," she smiled back up at him.

"Yattaa! Then it's settled. We will have our first date today. I'll come by to get you tonight alright Hinata," and in a dash Naruto was gone.

Hinata sat there still a bright red while she played with her fingers. Sakura and Ino giggled at the joyous display of Naruto and the bashful reaction by Hinata.

"Just think he is going to have to meet your dad now," Ino joked.

Hinata's face reacted with a nervous look to the comment. Naruto would have to meet her father and that made her a little scared to how he would react. Hinata quickly jumped from her seat and bowed goodbye as she rushed on home to get ready for everything.

"She was off in a hurry…was it something I said?"

* * *

Night began to fall on the little shack in the forest. The sun could barely be seen on the horizon. Kisame closed the wooden door as he walked outside. His black cloak gently waved in the breeze. Itachi, who was already outside, watched on with his blood red sharingan eyes as Kisame secured his sword on his back.

"Be discrete when you reach Mizu no Kuni. Don't do anything that is unnecessary," Itachi said flatly.

"I guess that means I can't kill anyone can I?" retorted Kisame.

"If you're going to go to Kirigakure and get inside to see the Mizukage then you should hold back on killing anybody. We cannot let anyone be aware of us."

"Humph, fine I understand," Kisame sulked.

"I'm off to see Uzumaki Naruto," and just like that Itachi was gone into the dark of the night.

Kisame took a few steps into the forest and came to a stop. He turned to face the little shack he spent a year in for the last time. He heaved a sigh of relief and began performing a few hand signs. Once he was done with the sequence of hand signs, Kisame placed his hands on the ground. Suddenly the gentle river became a monstrous tower of water. The tower rose up in the air and came crashing down onto the shack. The water went back to its original flowing river taking pieces of the shack with it. The now barren patch of ground lay wet and quiet. Kisame stood back up and rushed off into the night forest.

* * *

Naruto made his way up the stone pathway to the Hyuuga mansion. It was one of the most beautiful houses in the whole village. It was a simple yet majestic abode that stretched across a good patch of land. It was the biggest house in the village. It was a noble family's home after all. The white walls showed no speck of dirt and the wood looked brand new like the house had just been built.

Just as Naruto approached the entryway, the sliding doors slid open. Out walked the beautiful ink-blue haired Hinata. She stood in front of Naruto wearing her purple and white jacket and dark shade of purple pants. Naruto was dressed in his old-fashioned orange and black jumpsuit. He had also made changes to his jacket which was now orange with black flames running the bottom of the jacket and the sleeves. Both of them showed a blush of red as they greeted each other.

"So…uh do I have to meet your dad?" asked a nervous Naruto.

"Not today. He is out on business but he apologizes for not being here to meet you," she spoke softly.

Naruto looked over Hinata's face and placed a hand on her forehead making Hinata confused.

"What is it Naruto-kun?"

"You didn't stutter at all. I was just checking to see if you weren't sick," Naruto joked.

"Oh, I didn't notice it. I guess I don't feel as nervous talking to you now that we're together."

"Great!!! So then let's be off," Naruto latched onto Hinata's hand and they were off.

They talked non-stop while they walked the streets of Konoha. People who were watching smiled as the beautiful couple passed by. As they turned the corner, a toothy smile spread across Naruto's place. Sitting peacefully in its spot was the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Time for Ramen!!!"

"This is where we're going to go for our first date?" Hinata asked a little perplexed.

"Hai, Is that alright with you Hinata?" giving her his best pouty face.

"It's perfect," she smiled back at him.

They quickly walked into the Ramen Bar, sat down, and ordered miso ramen.

"If it isn't my favorite customer Naruto-sama and you're here with Hinata-san. What is the occasion?" Teuchi asked.

"It's our first date," Naruto blushed.

"Well, well, well. Naruto has a girlfriend," he smiled, "Did you hear that Ayame-chan?"

"Congratulations you two that's wonderful."

Naruto and Hinata turned bright red. The whole night it looked as if many people were happy that they were together. Several people had also been congratulating them. The couple talked throughout the night as Naruto went through several bowls of ramen while Hinata was only able to eat one bowl. Teuchi and Ayame watched joyfully at how good they looked together and how much fun they were having. When they were finished Naruto pulled out his gama-chan wallet only to have Teuchi wave it off saying it was on the house for such a special occasion.

They both slowly walked hand-in-hand back to Hinata's house as their date came to a close. Neither of them wanted the night to end. The closer they got the more Hinata noticed Naruto was getting a little more jittery and anxious. She was afraid to ask him and figured he would end up telling her. When they reached the front door it appeared that Naruto would burst from his nerves.

"T-this…was the greatest day I've ever had," Naruto stumbled while speaking.

"Me too," smiled Hinata.

"Um uh…well…heh…O-oyasumi Hinata," and with that he hugged her and began walking home.

Hinata proceeded to walk inside and looked back to see Naruto taking tiny little steps away from her. She knew he wasn't going to say why he was acting funny so she decided she would ask him.

"Daijobu deska Naruto?"

Naruto froze in his spot. Something was on his mind but he didn't want Hinata to think that something bad was bothering him. 'Just do it Naruto and stop being so nervous' he said to himself. Slowly he turned around to look at Hinata while keeping his face hidden. Naruto gently kicked some dirt off the ground while he shifted closer and closer to Hinata. He lifted his head up to show Hinata a bright tint of red on it.

"Everything is fine I was just trying to get enough nerve to do this."

Before Hinata could have a chance of responding Naruto embraced her in his arms and gently laid a kiss on her tender lips. Hinata's eyes grew wide open surprised by the kiss but she quickly let go of her surprise and lost herself in the passionate kiss.

When they finally released the kiss after what seemed forever Hinata jokingly said, "What took you so long Naruto?"

* * *

The trees zipped by the speedy Itachi. The night wasn't going to last forever and he needed to cover as much ground since it would not be safe to travel during the day. He leaped off of a branch and landed into a little meadow. The flowers were sleeping pleasantly and butterflies danced across the ground. Itachi continued walking on but came to an abrupt stop. The butterflies that were floating around were actually origami ones. A normal person probably wouldn't have noticed but Itachi's sharingan had picked up on it quickly.

"Konan-san you can show yourself," he stood unwavering.

From ever corner of the meadow rushed a swarm of paper butterflies. They came to a single spot in front of Itachi and formed into the blue-haired kunoichi. She stood in front of Itachi in the same black cloak as him and lying comfortably on her head was a paper flower.

"How long did you know I was following you?" she asked.

"I've know for awhile. What do you want?"

"I recall you told me to do something so I came to report to you. I've kept a close eye on Sasuke and found the main locations he frequents."

"Good. Now I need you to do something else?" he asked flatly.

"You want me to continue doing what I'm doing?"

"No, could you back up Kisame-san? I've already informed him that I'll be sending you when you were finished."

"Fine I can do that," she responded, "but I've wanted to ask for awhile why you chose to work with just Kisame and I."

"The three of us are the last living members of the former Akatsuki. That is the reason," he answered coldly.

"There is more to it than that. I can see it in your eyes."

"I trust the two of you," he answered blankly.

"Huh, I didn't think you would answer so quickly. Alright then I'll head towards Kirigakure then," she said as her body began forming into pieces of paper, "Just make sure Naruto is ready."

Itachi stood motionless as the papers folded into butterflies and flew off in the direction of Mizu no Kuni. He knew well enough that Naruto needed to be ready. There was no more time to waste.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it. Working on the next chapter so it will be up as soon as I'm finished.  
__  
If anyone was wondering:  
Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water)  
Kirigakure (Village Hidden in the Mist)_


	7. Chapter 7: Memory Lane

_longest chapter I have written so far. R&R plz and enjoy_

_gomenasai - sorry, shinpai shinaide - don't worry, so desu - I see_

* * *

Chapter 7: Memory Lane

Day broke on the peaceful village of Konoha. People were already out opening up their shops and several children were making their way over to the Ninja Academy. The birds were chirping a soothing melody as they flew over the village. Inside the Hokage's mansion bustled leaf-nin bringing in paperwork that needed to be done today and running little errands. Everyone was out and about.

Shizune strolled up to the door of Naruto's bedroom. She knocked at the door and called out for Naruto to wake up. No response came from inside the room. Again she knocked only to yet again get no response. Not having the time to knock her heart away, she opened the door only to see an unmade bed without any Naruto in it. So she made her way over to the office to see a highly active Naruto going through paperwork like it was ramen. This sight slightly startled her to see Naruto actually working but at the same time she was really proud of him.

"Since you're here already Shizune could you do me a favor and call for Team Konohamaru to come in?" he asked not lifting his eyes from his paperwork.

"Right away Hokage-sama," she happily responded.

Shizune softly closed the door behind her leaving the busy Naruto to himself. Naruto came to a finish on the document he was filling out and began flipping through the mission requests that were laid out on the table. 'Most of these are personal requests and some of them I already have people I'm going to assign to so I guess I'll give…this one to the three of them' Naruto thought to himself pulling out a mission scroll and setting it aside. While Naruto continued on with his work a knock came at the door.

"Please come in," he called out. The door crept slowly open and in walked the visitor.

"Have I got the job…," Naruto paused as he looked up at the visitor. A big smile spread across his face to who it was, "Bushy-Brow your back!"

Naruto beamed with happiness to see that Konoha's Green Beast had returned from his six month absence. Lee had come back from his training in a shredded green jumpsuit and ripped up green tactical vest. His hair was slightly longer and was very unkempt from its usual bowl cut. He had several cuts on his face and the bandages that covered his hands and parts of his arms were completely ripped to pieces.

"It is good to see you Naruto-kun," he bowed, "I mean Hokage-sama."

"Hahaha, don't worry about that," laughed Naruto, "Did you just get here this morning?"

"Hai, I also was told to come and report to you. It's good to see you finally fulfill your dream."

"You can see that it's hard work though," he motioned to the stacks of papers and scrolls, "But it comes with the title."

Rock Lee bowed his head down and grew quiet. Naruto became a little worried and wondered what was bothering him, "Bushy-brow?"

"Gomenasai Naruto-sama," he softly said.

"For what?"

"About what happened to Tsunade-sama. It must have been hard to lose someone close to you like that. I wasn't here to support you and everyone else."

Naruto rose from his seat and walked up to the window. A melancholic look radiated from his face.

"Shinpai shinaide Lee everything is alright. I think about what happened everyday but I can't always be sad about it. I have to be strong for this village. Besides we have to stick together in times like this right?" Naruto turned towards Lee and flashed the nice guy pose.

"Right!" as he flashed it back, his toothy smile sparkling.

Without warning, in burst Team Konohamaru, "It's about time you recognized our skill boss!!!"

"Huh, oh I forgot. Sorry Bushy-brow but I have to get back to work. You should go get changed and rest up."

Lee bowed goodbye and quickly left while Naruto sat back down in his chair. He picked up the mission scroll he had put aside and handed it to Ebisu.

"I have a very special job for you three. You're going to be cleaning the Hokage stone faces today!" smiled Naruto.

"What!!!?" the three shouted.

"But boss that is a D-rank mission. Give us something more challenging," complained Konohamaru.

"Well you three are still genin so D-rank missions are still up your ally."

"But it isn't fair to our skills," Moegi protested.

"Yeah," Udon added in.

"You got to have something else better there for us," said an agitated Konohamaru.

"I apologize for their insolence Hokage-sama. We will gladly take the job," spoke Ebisu.

"Its fine Ebisu you don't have to apologize. I would argue against it also," waving off the apology, "Look you three this is all I have for you for now but I'll tell you this. Just do this one job and the next time I call you in I will have a harder mission for you. Agreed?"

"Alright boss but we're holding you to that," Konohamaru responded.

"I never go back on my word," beamed Naruto.

* * *

The blue skinned Kisame's head rose cautiously out of the water by the shores of Kirigakure. The village itself was barely visible behind the thick shroud of mist. Kisame surveyed the misty beach for the presence of anybody. No one seemed to be there so Kisame surged out of the water onto the quiet shore. Kisame began taking a few steps towards the tiny forest that separated the shore from the village itself. As he made his way through the forest, Kisame noticed a shadow of a figure standing a few yards in front of him. He placed his hand on the hilt of Samehada only to take it off after he realized who it was. He grinned slightly showing his sharp teeth.

"And I was hoping I would get here first," he commented to the figure.

"Looks like you're slow as ever Kisame," Konan somewhat taunted.

"Maybe you just got quicker," Kisame snapped back, "We're both here so it makes no difference."

"I've already taken the liberty of scouting out the village."

"Only makes my work much easier seeing as I can't go in my style."

"You know just killing your way through won't work," Konan calmly remarked.

Kisame took his last few steps out of the forest. He gently pulled his Samehada from his back and jammed it into the fertile ground. Kisame comfortably leaned on his sword and intently looked at Konan with his beady white eyes.

"So you can just tell me the plan on how were going to reach the Mizukage then."

"I'll go in first since I can get there without getting the attention of anyone. You on the other hand will have to gain access through the river that runs through the village and by the Mizukage's mansion."

"That sounds too simple. This is Kirigakure! It would be easy for them to spot someone who is infiltrating their village through the river. I'm from this damn village I would know," scoffed Kisame.

"So you're saying one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist can't do a task such as this," Konan said sarcastically.

"Hehehe like I said I'm from this village so for me it won't be a problem. It will be even easier for me to sneak through once I get into the mansion," laughed Kisame, "But once were both inside I'll do the talking. It is more fitting for a fellow Seven Swordsman to speak with another one."

"Then let's begin," spoke Konan as she split into her paper butterflies.

"This is going to be a little fun."

* * *

A shirtless Lee sat on top of his dojo. In his hand he held a picture of him and his former sensei Guy. It had been over a year now since Guy had died and the pain still dug deep in Lee's heart. At first he had felt a deep revenge and anger for the man who had killed him, but today he felt different. After listening to what Naruto had said, Lee knew that he had to be strong. He could not let his emotions ruin his judgment for the sake of himself and even more so for the village. Deep down he knew the time would come when he would finally face Kisame but in the meantime he couldn't force it to happen. The only thing he knew he could do was to train and become stronger for that day.

That is what the past six months had been for him, training. He worked nonstop to become stronger. It was the most difficult and by far the most dangerous training he had to endure in his life. The dangers of the training made him decide to train in solitude away from everyone. Now he wanted to show everyone how far he had come.

Lee lifted his head up to the sky as a gently breeze swept across the land. The wind caressed his newly bowl cut hair. It felt good to finally be home.

"Hey Lee!!!"

Lee looked down from the roof to see Tenten waving at him. She was wearing her white vest-like shirt with black trimming and black pants.

"Come down from there and come to lunch with me and Neji-kun," she hollered.

Rock Lee smiled to see his old teammate. He slid his picture into his pocket and jumped off the roof landing with a gently thud onto the ground.

"Uh shouldn't you at least get dressed first?" she asked.

"The power of youth waits for no one!" and in a cloud of dirt Rock Lee dashed off into the village.

"WAIT!!! You don't even know where we're going to eat!" yelled Tenten taking off after him.

* * *

Hinata stood calmly as several Narutos crowded around her. She was positioned comfortably in her Juuken style and surveyed the kunai wielding Narutos with her byakugan. The Narutos lunged forward launching a hoard of kunais. As the kunais flew closer, Hinata shifted her feet into a square position and pulled one of her arms behind her.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten," spoke Hinata spinning and forming a blue sphere of chakra.

All the kunais bounced of the chakra shield and fell to the ground. When Hinata finished spinning, the Narutos charged for a physical attack. Hinata dodged every which way launching a burst of charka through her open palms causing many puffs of smoke to pop up around her. The smoke cleared to reveal a single Naruto running towards Hinata with a Rasengan in hand. As Naruto hurled the Rasengan forward, Hinata elegantly side-stepped it. She then grabbed onto his now vulnerable arm and landed a punch to the face of Naruto only to have him turn into another puff of smoke.

It wasn't before long that the real Naruto bursted out of the ground with another Rasengan. Hinata gently back flipped out of the way and launched her open palm into Naruto's stomach. Quickly Hinata squared herself again and pulled her arm back behind her.

"Hakke Rokujuuyonshou," she softly shouted.

Two strikes, four strikes, sixteen strikes, thirty-two strikes hit Naruto. Just as she shouted sixty-four strikes, Naruto grabbed a hold of both her arms and hurled her away from him. She quickly recovered sliding against the ground and standing back up. Hinata dashed of in a head on attack only to have Naruto wave her off to stop.

"Ow, that's enough for me today," he dusted himself off, "You've gotten pretty strong Hinata."

"Arigato Naruto, but why did you stop?" she seemed a little perplexed.

"It's just that I'm tired and I'm going to have to get back to work in a little while," he said.

"Naruto you don't have to be afraid of not holding back only because I'm your girlfriend," she said flatly.

He sighed, "I'm sorry Hinata. I just don't want to hurt you."

"You don't need to worry about that. If we don't hold back then we would be helping each other get stronger."

"You know what you're right Hinata. From now on we will never hold back and get stronger together," he smiled.

Naruto walked up to Hinata and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, "I have to get back though but I will see you later on today."

Hinata stood smiling as Naruto walked away waving goodbye. So much had changed she wondered if it was just a dream. She and Naruto together seemed like some far off fantasy when it was in fact real. Hinata truly felt happy, but something sat in the back of her mind. The more she thought about the more she worried what could happen to Naruto. A war would begin soon and there was no stopping it. At that moment Hinata swore she would become even stronger to protect Naruto. To protect the one person she cared for the most.

* * *

Kisame slowly slid around the corner into the hallway directly towards the Mizukage's room. Inflitration had been a simple success and it would not have otherwise been possible if he wasn't from the village. Kisame strolled up the hallway as several paper butterflies flew past him and slipped under the door. Nearing the door, Kisame had a feeling that getting here was way too easy. Security seemed extremely low seeing as he only had to avoid a few mist-nin. Instead of thinking more on it he shrugged it off and proceeded into the room.

Inside sitting cooly in his seat was the Mizukage. Next to him stood a partly formed Konan with a spear made of paper aimed at his throat. The Mizukage was clothed in his sky blue kage robes. His messy navy blue hair flowed down to his chin and his milky smooth skin glowed radiantly. Along his right eye laid a long scar from days of old. Mizukage stared intently at Kisame as he approached the fancy brown table that seperated them. A little smirk was displayed on Kisame's face.

"So calm aren't we Mizukage and here I thought this would be a more festive reunion," he sarcastically said, "But you already knew we were here as I can see by your lack of security."

"Fifteen years Hoshigaki," the coarse deep-voiced kage spoke.

"Has it been that long now? The brillant Yuuga Harou face to face with his old friend after fifteen years. So exhilarating isn't it. The last time we were together was when I left that nice long scar on your pretty little face. If only I had taken your head."

"Why are you here Hoshigaki?" he coldly asked.

"Hmm quite the contrary from what you think. I'm actually here to speak with you."

"Humph!" he grunted.

Kisame surveyed the room just to be extra cautious of the possibility of anyone else besides them. It appeared they were alone but Kisame knew he couldn't let his guard down. As his eyes drew back onto Harou, something shiny caught his eye. Resting on the Mizukage's chair was the deadly Benishimo. It was a long ice blue jagged blade with a slightly curved yellow hilt. The blade was also furnished with a crimson edge.

"Heh, so desu," Kisame snorted.

The sitting Mizukage suddenly burst into water causing Konan to forming her body and pulling back. She looked back up to see the Mizukage holding up the Benishimo at arms-length in front of him at the throat of Kisame. Kisame lifted up his hand motioning Konan to just stay out of it.

"So you could see that it was a Mizu Bunshin," Harou commented.

"It was obvious by how calm you were acting. I know you too well to be fooled by something as simple as that."

"Fifteen years you've been gone and and all you say is that you want to talk!" screamed Harou, "What makes you think I would even 'talk' with you after what you did?"

"Well you did allow us to get in here after all," Kisame jeered.

"You betrayed this village! You betrayed your comrades! But most of all you betrayed OUR FRIENDSHIP!!!"

"Heh, even so I'm not here to discuss that. I'm here on business."

"I don't care for your business and I would see you die here before me!" fumed Harou.

"Even if it means the destruction of Kirigakure," Kisame flatly added in.

Harou's angered look seemed to subside a little at Kisame's remark, "What are you talking about?"

"Lower the sword and I'll tell you."

Slowly Harou lowered his sword finally laying it flat on the table but still keeping his hand close to the hilt.

"You probably already know that a war is brooding between Otogakure and Konohagakure. Kaze no Kuni as already allied itself with the latter while Tuschi no Kuni and possibly pretty soon Kaminari no Kuni with the former," Kisame informatively said.

"And what does this have to do with Kirigakure?" the Mizukage irritatingly asked.

"This village can't avoid being dragged into the war. Kirigakure will be destroyed by Uchiha Sasuke. So I'm suggesting that you quickly ally with Konohagakure when the time comes."

"Why should I listen to what you suggest?" hissed Harou.

"It's not in my nature to say this but it would be the right thing to do. Sasuke needs to be stopped and you know that as well," Kisame paused for a second motioning to Konan that they would be leaving, "Besides I'm sure you will like the new Hokage. He may be a little too hyperactive for my preference but you should be able to enjoy that."

Konan was already walking out the door while Kisame followed suit. Harou stood somberly contemplating what had just been said. Despite his immense hate for Kisame deep down he knew he was right in this situation.

"I never said I would do what you suggest," Harou quickly said.

"You decide on whatever you want," Kisame casually made his way out the door only to stop halfway, "and about our business let's save it for another day…I'm sure our paths will cross again…Sooner than later."

* * *

Naruto kissed Hinata goodnight as she made her way into her house. After Naruto had finished with his daily duties Hinata and him had spent more of the day training and having another pleasant dinner at Ichikaru Ramen.

A full moon shined brightly down on the sleeping village. Naruto had decided he would take the longer more scenice route back to the Hokage mansion. While he walked he thought about all the work he would have to do tomorrow. It bored him to have to do paperwork all day. It had to be done though and he knew that. It wasn't as bad as he made it out to be the only thing was there was a lot. Yet Naruto was glad for it because it meant that the shinobi of Konoha were still needed.

During the walk Naruto noticed that his feet had taken him to a familiar place. Walking alongside the river, Naruto could see the lonesome pier that Sasuke would sit on when they were younger. He made his way down the hill and walked onto the pier.

Standing there filled his mind with nostalgia. He remembered the days walking home from school alone and seeing Sasuke sitting on the pier staring off into nothing. The day Team 7 was formed and all the missions they had done together. Naruto also remembered how much he tried to bring Sasuke back only to fail ever time. Things were defintely different from what Naruto could ever dream of happening. Staring at his own reflection in the water, Naruto also realized how far he had come. From being the naïve knucklehead to becoming the Hokage. After all the events that have transpired he had truly grown up. Still Naruto felt a sense of emptiness in his reflection. Indeed a hopeful and determined figure looked up at him but at the same time it was filled with grief and confusion. To wipe away the feeling, Naruto sloshed his image away and left the pier.

Walking farther down the road Naruto came up to the ghostly Uchiha district. The fan symbol was deeply faded to the point that one could barely make out what it was. Slowly Naruto stepped under the single board nailed onto the gate that signaled no entry to the district. Going down the streets made Naruto wonder how lively the place must have been before the massacre. The only positive things that could be felt from the remains of the village was easily shrouded by the nothingness that it was now.

His feet taking him further and further into the district, Naruto stood facing the scared Uchiha shrine. He hesitantly made his way up the few steps only to stop directly in front of the entrance. This was not the first time Naruto had been here yet he always felt he lacked the willingness to enter. The few times he entered trying to study the scrolls and historical documents passed down by the Uchihas hoping to uncover any clue of how he could bring Sasuke back. There was always nothing though but Naruto continued to come back and read the same things over and over. He took some tiny steps backwards and decided that today he would deny the urge to go in.

Naruto let out a soft sigh and turned around to make his way back down the steps. After making his way down the steps Naruto looked up only to be frozen stiff in his place. In front of him stood the dark figure of Itachi. His red eyes shined brightly even with the full moon light flowing down onto the land. A look of fierce rage glazed over Naruto's azul eyes.

"Itachi," Naruto slowed annunciated.

"Long time Uzumaki Naruto. Convenient that I would find you here," Itachi coolly said.

"The infamous Itachi was looking for me how flattering," he sarcastically responded, "I guess that means a fight then."

"I didn't come here to fight you. I came to offer something"

"And what would you have that could be of any value for me. I would never accept anything from someone like you," Naruto defiantly spoke.

"When it comes to Sasuke I'm sure you would make an exception."

"What about Sasuke?!"

"If you truly want to stop him then I can help you in that endeavor. I am offering to train you, in secret of course."

His comment startled Naruto. What was Itachi trying to do? Why would someone like Itachi be willing to train him? It seemed a little out of the ordinary for a man such as Itachi to do something like this.

"Why would you be willing to do that?" asked the confused Naruto.

"If you agree to my offer then be here around the same time tomorrow. I will explain why if you show up," and in a dash of black Itachi was gone.

Naruto greatly despised Itachi but the offer did intrigue him. If Itachi was really offering to train him then Naruto could be well prepared to fight a sharingan user such as Sasuke. But the thing that intrigued him the most was what the reason was behind it. Itachi was still shrouded in his mysterious aura yet honesty seemed to flow in his words. Naruto decided tomorrow he would see what exactly was going on. He would accept Itachi's offer.

* * *

_busy on chapter 8 so it should be up soon. hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Juuken - Gentle Fist  
Hakkeshou Kaiten - Eight Divinations Palms of the Hand, Heavenly Spin  
Hakke Rokujuuyonshou - Eight Divinations Signs, 64 palms  
Mizu Bunshin - Water Clone_


	8. Chapter 8: Past and Present

_finally finished. I have to say I realy enjoyed writing a particular scene in this. and just for future reference and some points as my story progresses I will be integrating flash backs into it. all flash backs will be in italics so it will be easy to tell. anyways enjoy. R&R_

_naze - why, daijobu - alright, oyasumi - goodnight, ikanimo - Indeed, sono toori - I agree, onigiri - rice ball, genkan - entrance way of a home, tempura - deep-fried vegetables or seafood in batter, kishikatsu - skewered meat breaded and deep-fried, Itadakimasu - expression of graditude before meals, aishiteru - i love you_

* * *

Chapter 8: Past and Present 

It was already the afternoon and Naruto was still somewhat lackluster in completing his work. All day his mind had been wandering off to what would be happening later on tonight. Was Itachi being honest or could it possibly be some kind of trick? Naruto wondered what exactly was going on. He still did not quite trust what Itachi had said but needed to see what would happen nonetheless.

Constantly Naruto would look back and forth from his paperwork to the outside. Inch by inch the sun crept across the sky as nightime neared. Time seemed to drag on for what seemed like years to Naruto and even when the night started to paint the sky he had to wait for Shizune to come in and take some of the documents and scrolls to be locked up.

Finally the time had come and quickly Naruto gathered some ninja gear. He changed out of his Hokage robes and dressed into his black shirt and pants along with a forest green tactial vest. Making his way out the door, Naruto also flung on his orange and black flame jacket. Quietly and cautiously he made his way to the Uchiha district making sure that no one had followed him or had seen him gone in.

Naruto casually walked to the Uchiha shrine and sat down on the cement steps. He played with little pebbles tossing them across the ground as he waited. Time strolled by as if it were hours when it was only a few minutes. Little by little Naruto grew irritated at how much the minutes played tricks on him. With a swift motion, Naruto hurled the last small rock that was near him only to hear it not hit the ground. He quickly looked up to see the missing-nin Itachi standing a few yards away from him.

"So you have accepted my offer," dropping the small rock from his hand to the ground.

"First thing is first, you tell me what this is all about. Why would you want to train me after everything that has gone on between us?"

"It's simple. Sasuke needs to be stopped and you are the only one who can do it."

"Why me and why the hell would you care about something like this?"

"Your bond with Sasuke is stronger than anyone," he said flatly.

"You didn't answer the other question," groaned Naruto.

"I have my reasons that are not of your concern at the moment. So are you going to deny the training that I am offering."

For a second Naruto thought about it. He knew that more questioning for answers would lead no where especially with someone like Itachi who is so secretive. Naruto sighed and nodded his head in agreement to the offering. Besides Naruto felt that depending on how long Itachi would train him he might find out exactly what Itachi's intentions were.

"I will need three months to train you against the sharingan. All training will be done here every night."

"Why only three months?" asked Naruto

"That is all the time that I have and it should be more than enough for someone like you."

"Alright then," Naruto slightly grinned.

"Let's begin."

* * *

Kisame and Konan sat on tree logs in front of a tiny campfire. Konan fed more wood into the fire while Kisame started off up into the night sky. They were staying inside Mizu no Kuni for the time being. After finishing building up the fire a little, Konan got up and checked the trap that they had set up around them to warn of anyone getting close. Konan eyed the Kisame who would been somewhat more somber than ever since the talk with the Mizukage. 

"I never thought you to be the nostalgic Kisame," she commented sitting back down.

"Whatever," Kisame hissed.

"Did the Mizukage strike a nerve or something?" she slightly scorned.

"No. Why anyways would you question me about things that don't concern you?"

"I'm just curious. We are comrades after all and I don't see any problem with knowing more about who I'm working with."

"Heh is that so?" Kisame grunted.

"So why did the Mizukage mention something about a friendship between you two? I can tell there is a past between you."

"If I tell you will you quit with all your damn questions?" said a slightly irritated Kisame.

"Yeah," Konan softly responded.

"Fine…" as Kisame began telling about his past with the Mizukage.

_15 years ago…_

_The waves gently splashed onto the quiet shores of Kirigakure. It was the early morning and the mist was slowly fading away. A man in a loose white shirt and brown pants sat as the soft breeze swam through his clothes and the gentle sand. Harou rested humbly on the beach as he waited for his friend to come back from his meeting with the council. He did not know why they had called in Kisame but Harou patiently waited for him. As the mist cleared enough for things to be visible, Harou turned his head to see Kisame slowly walking up the beach towards him. He jumped to his feet and strolled over to the stolid Kisame._

"_How'd it go Kisame-kun? What did they call you in for?" asked the lively Harou._

"_Apparently someone has been going around assassinating Kiri feudal lords," Kisame flatly answered._

"_So the rumors are true then…I never thought it possible," Harou pondered for a second, "Is that all they wanted to see you about. I had heard from the retired Sandaime that they were going to offer the Mizukage position to you."_

"_Hmm, at first they mentioned it__…,"Kisame quickly cut himself off._

"_Really!? Then why do you seem so passive right now. That sounds like wonderful news," said an excited Harou, "So what did you say to them? Did you accept the position?"_

"_At first they mentioned they were going to offer it but recent information they received caused them to change their mind," Kisame slightly grinned._

"_W-what you do mean Kisame-kun?" asked Harou._

_Harou grew very confused at Kisame's comment. Here was his friend acting out of the ordinary and it only caused Harou to be worried. Harou looked over his foreboding friend and finally came to notice something. Kisame's dark blue clothes had little tears in it and spots of blood could be distinctly seen on his tan tactical vest. Also held firmly in his hand was a bloody kunai._

"_T-there's blood on your clothes," Harou said looking at a devious grin spread across Kisame's face._

_Harou's eyes grew wide in shock as he realized exactly why the council would change their minds about offering the Mizukage position to Kisame. It was obvious to see that Kisame was the one going around killing the feudal lords. Harou's body shivered to the bone. He could not believe all this was real._

"_By your reaction Harou I can see your starting to realize I am the one who has been going around killing the feudal lords," he sneered._

"_N-no it can't be. Why, why would you do something like that?"_

"_Hehehehe, no real reason I just thought it would be fun."_

"_It's not true! I don't believe it! You would never do something like that," Harou shockingly denied it as fact, "t-then why do you…why do you have blood on your clothes."_

"_It seemed that after finding out about this the council wasn't going to let me leave."_

_Harou become even more stunned, "Y-y-you killed the…council members." _

_Kisame laughed histerically, "Indeed and I do have to say that it was quite enjoyable."_

_Harou stumbled a few steps back from his friend and dropped to his knees. He just could not believe what he was hearing. How could one of the most gifted shinobi in Kirigakure do something so sadistic as this. A fellow Seven Swordsman commiting such an act. Harou looked at his shaking hands too frightened to soak any of this in._

"_W-why would you come here and tell me this," not looking up at Kisame._

"_We are friends after all. It seems fitting that I would tell you," Kisame took a few steps past Harou to stand directly behind him, "I also came to tell you that I'm leaving…and I wanted to see if you would like to come with me."_

"_N-n-naze?"_

"_This village is weak. Everything about it is weak…It's so tiring to constantly do things for something so weak. This place is just a waste of my time. I'm leaving for power. I want power by any means necessary even if that means betraying this crap of a village."_

"_So you…did this all of power?"_

"_Exactly and nothing else. Why should I use such talent for a place like this? Power is all that matters to me and nothing else. So if you come with me then together we can find power."_

"_You killed your own comrades for power!" Harou stood up and turned to stare at Kisame, "If gaining power means that then I want nothing to do with it. I'v sworn to protect this village with my life that is what gives me my power. Not killing mindlessly."_

"_So it's a no then," Kisame turned away and began walking off into the distance._

"_Stop!!!" Harou flashingly appeared in front of Kisame. He pulled his sword off his back and lifted it up towards Kisame, "I can't let you leave after the crimes you have commited."_

"_You would raise your sword to a friend Harou," Kisame calmly said._

"_If it means saving you from yourself then yes I would," he firmly responded, "You have to atone for what you have done."_

"_Heh, do you think your strong enough to stop me from leaving even if I'm your closest friend?"_

"_Yes I do. Don't do this Kisame. There would be no turning back if you leave."_

"_O well then, I guess this is goodbye my dear friend," Kisame sidestepped and continued walking._

_Harou lowered his sword and stood solemnly. It felt like his heart was being shredded into pieces. Here was has friend since childhood abandoning the village. They had grown up together climbing through the ranks and enduring so much. Now he was leaving a traitor to his comrades. Harou was saddened not more so of that fact but the fact that Kisame could easily abandon their friendship. Tears trickled down his face. He couldn't let someone like this leave even if it was his friend._

"_Then I will have to stop you by force!" roared Harou._

_He whipped around and charged at Kisame. Swinging his Benshimo Kisame quickly swing around and stopped it with his kunai. Kisame and Harou stared at each other intently. This would be the end of their friendship and they both knew it._

"_So be it," Kisame's body formed into water which splashed onto the sand._

_Harou decisively swung around to block Kisame charging with his kunai. Slowly Harou was pushed back by the strength of Kisame. It took all his might to hold up his sword against the single kunai. Growing bored Kisame dropped his kunai, jumped back and formed a hand seal making two Mizu Bunshins from the tide waters. Both of the Mizu Bunshins reached into their vests each pulling out two kunai and rushed Harou._

_Both of them swung furiously at Harou. Clanging metal echoed as Harou blocked every oncoming attack. He swung his long sword at both to make some distance between them. Harou jammed his sword straight down into the sand and performed a fast sequence of hand seals. He then placed his hand back onto the hilt of the sword causing it to glow a more brightly ice blue. He pulled the sword out showing that some of the sand had just froze. Harou flung the sword behind him as he charged the two Mizu Bunshins. He swung viciously at the quick Kisames. Dodging a strike from behind, Harou whipped around jamming the jagged sword into the attacker's stomach. Before the Mizu Bunshin could disperse, it rapidly began to freeze. The other one took its chance to strike only to receive a kick directly into the face causing it to dissolve back into water._

_Harou yanked the sword out of the frozen bunshin and launched a kick shattering it to pieces. Zipping through the air came several shurikens. Without moving from his spot, Harou swung his sword launching a swarm of ice shards deflecting each oncoming shuriken. Harou stood coolly staring straight at Kisame._

"_I would suggest you use your Samehada," said Harou._

"_I don't think I will be needing it," boasted Kisame._

_Harou roared as he began charging towards Kisame. Kisame stood calmly while he quickly performed some hand seals._

"_Suiton: Suikoudan no jutsu."_

_Suddenly a column of water rose from the sea and rushed towards Harou. Instinctly Harou turned towards the charging water and struck at it with his sword. Before the whole column froze and fell to the ground a Mizu Bunshin jumped out of it swinging at Harou with a kunai. Harou jumped away from the attack and landed a hard punch causing yet another Mizu Bunshin to disperse. As he landed back onto the, Harou turned around only to be too late to block Kisame. Blood flew into the air as Kisame struck Harou's face with a kunai. Harou reeled back from the hit dropping Benishimo too far in front of him. Kisame then let go of the kunai and rammed many kicks and punches into the face and stomach of Harou._

_Harou fell onto his hands and knees gasping for air only to receive a hard kick into his face launching him across the sand. Kisame slowly walked up to Harou who struggled to barely get up on one knee._

"_Looks like you lose dear friend," Kisame remarked, "You could have had a better chance if you hadn't held back."_

_Kisame reached down to raise Harou's head up. Harou stared at him with his left eye while the slash on his right eye dripped blood. Wihtout hesitation Kisame punched Harou in the face causing some blood to fly off onto his clothes. He let go of his face and stood straight back up. More blood dripped onto the soft sand while Harou panted from receiving all the powerful hits. Slowly Harou mustered some energy to look up at the stationary Kisame._

"_I…ugh…will never…forgive you," he huffed._

"_Listen well because I will only say this once…Become strong… Become strong enough to be given the position of Mizukage because that was your dream to begin with. Protect your sweet village with all your might," said Kisame, "Then maybe one day you will gain enough strength to defeat me. Until then, farewell."_

_Kisame slowly walked past Harou and off into the horizon. Harou was motionless. Unable to get up or to say anything. While his vision blurred as he was about to pass out, Harou thought about everything they had been through together. All of that was gone now. No longer were they comrades. No longer were they friends. Now they were enemies._

* * *

Naruto rushed around the village striking at each and every Itachi that popped up only to have everyone of them turn to a hoard of crows. He turned a corner onto a long street to see Itachi standing at the other end. Naruto steadily picked up pace as he got closer to Itachi. When Naruto reached Itachi he quickly sliced through him with a kunai causing a line of blood to splash onto the ground. 

"Gotcha," smiled Naruto.

Suddenly Itachi vanished as if he was never there to begin with. From the side Itachi smoothly landed a swift punch into th side of Naruto's face causing him to take a few steps back.

"You missed again," Itachi stated, "If you can't be aware of my genjutsu then what makes you think you can beat Sasuke."

Naruto smirked as he wiped the blood off his chin. Behind Itachi jumped two Kage Bunshins that were apparently hiding. Both of them dug their kunai into the back of Itachi making him drop to his knees. Then both the Kage Bunshins burst into puffs of smoke.

"Looks like I didn't miss after all," he smirked.

Again Itachi vanished into nothing. An irritated look began to grow on his face. For the past few hours he hadn't managed to actually hit Itachi at all. Everything that Naruto struck at was all cast by genjutsu.

"We're done for today," remarked Itachi as Naruto turned around to face him, "You may be strong Naruto but you still lack the awareness for genjutsu."

"I'm not that bad," shouted Naruto.

"You may have gotten better at it from the first time we first crossed paths but it isn't enough. Sharingan users are very adapt in genjutsu and you will learn to avoid getting trapped into it or at least being able to easily get out of it."

"But I know how to release genjutsu," commented Naruto.

"It must become second nature to you. You won't have time to readjust your chakra to break out of it. You will learn to do it naturally without delay…Be here tomorrow," and with that Itachi was gone again.

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief. It was exhausting to him to actually be attacking nothing or getting tricked all night by Itachi. Genjutsu never was his best subject. But he had to learn how to effectivly counter if he actually wanted to endure a prolonged fight with Sasuke.

Gingerly Naruto made his way back home. It was late into the night and pretty soon a new day would be here. Most if not everybody had already gone to sleep leaving the streets empty and quiet. A gentle wind rustled through Naruto's jacket as he made his way closer to home.

"You're out pretty late Hokage-sama."

Slightly startled Naruto swung around to see Hyuuga Hiashi walking towards his direction, "Gomen. I uh guess I lost track of time, heh-heh-heh," he chuckled.

"You don't have to apologize to me Hokage-sama I'm out late as well," he smiled.

"Then you are just getting back from your business trip," commented Naruto.

"Hai, I just arrived a few minutes ago and I'm heading home right now."

Naruto shifted a little nervously, "Well then I'll be going."

"Wait Hokage-sama, it's pretty lonely on these streets and I wouldn't mind having someone to talk to on my walk home. If you would like to join me you can."

"Daijobu," responded Naruto, "and you can call me Naruto if you want."

"Well Naruto-sama how has it been to be the Hokage?"

"All that I could dream of. To be the leader of this village is amazing. I'm here to protect everyone and I have to say that is the best part. I want people to know that they can depend on me in times of trouble. It is hard work but I've always wanted to be Hokage so I'm very grateful," Naruto

"You know being Hokage is not only about maintaining the village you must also maintain relations with others as well," said Hiashi.

"Yeah, I think I've really had to learn that recently," sighed Naruto.

"You will learn how to take it all in stride. It just takes time," Hiashi calmly said, "Just to go off subject I hear that you are dating my daughter."

Naruto's eyes flashed nervousness, "Y-yes sir I am."

"You don't have to be so nervous. I hope I'm not that scary," smiled Hiashi

"Um well uh I just wanted to say thank you for allowing us to date Hiashi-dono," Naruto slowly said.

Hiashi laughed, "You don't need to address me so formally. I hear that you prefer not to do so and I won't mind if you didn't."

Naruto sighed relief to hear that, "Arigato, Hiashi-san." They finally came to the Hyuuga mansion and stopped in front.

"Arigato for the company Naruto-sama," bowed Hiashi, "And if you are in the mood for a homecooked meal then you could join us for dinner tomorrow. I'm sure Hinata would enjoy that."

"Sure that would be great," smiled Naruto, "I will be here tomorrow then. Oyasumi!"

Naruto waved goodbye as he walked away. Having that little chat with Hiashi set Naruto more at ease. Now he could tell Hinata tomorrow and surprise her that he met her dad. A smile grew across Naruto's face just thinking about Hinata. He got lost daydreaming about her as he slowly walked home. In the distance a faint glint of light shined on the horizon. Naruto gained his focus back to see that morning was almost here.

"Waaaahhhh!!!!! Already!!!! I gotta hurry and get back so I can get some sleep," and off dashed Naruto.

* * *

Kakashi leaned against the rail of the roof on his apartment. It front of him stood the powerful toad hermit. It was around noontime and Jiraiya decided to pay a visit. 

"So how's the kid doing?" asked Jiraiya.

"He's doing a very good job. I honestly have to say I'm a little surprised but at the same time I always knew he would grow up to be a good hokage," responded Kakashi.

"He really is a lot like his father. Naruto is even skilled enough to be on the same level as him," smiled Jiraiya.

"I would think that he might have even surpassed Yondaime," commended Kakashi.

"Even so I'm sure Naruto really does want to strive to be better than his father," Jiraiya took a few steps forward and placed his hands on the rails, "That kid has had to go through a lot."

"Indeed…How has it been for you Jiraiya-sama? Both of you lost Tsunade-sama."

"It's been a little difficult to wrap my mind around things. Here I am the last of the old sannin. The last of my former team. I can't lie and say I feel good when I'm grieving on the inside," he somberly said.

"Tsunade-sama was a great hokage and a wonderful person. She died fighting for this village. There is nothing more noble than fighting for the ones that you protect," praised Kakashi.

"Just think how Naruto still probably feels. A former teammate and friend killing someone who was so dear to him…I'm sure you feel the pain in your heart to what has happened as well Kakashi. To have one of your former students do such a thing."

"Sasuke has chosen his path. I only wish I hadn't been so naïve then. I might have been able to do something," sighed Kakashi, "But that is the past and we have to look forward."

"Ikanimo…Well I should be going then," slowly Jiraiya stood straight up, walking slightly away from Kakashi and stopping, "Oh I almost forgot. I've been receiving information from some sources in Kaminari no Kuni that Sasuke has began negotiations of an alliance with them. So you should probably tell Naruto to keep an eye on them as well."

"Looks like Sasuke's preperations for war are building up even more," sighed Kakashi.

"He may be getting allies together but I honestly don't think they are going to be attacking real soon," Jiraiya flatly said.

"Sono toori, knowing Sasuke he will probably spend a good amount of time building up his forces. I wouldn't except this war to reach full force until about a year. Sasuke is way too cautious to start things so quickly."

"Either way it's going to come. All we can do is wait," said Jiraiya.

"And enjoy all the happiness before the sorrow comes."

* * *

Naruto made his way down the walkway to the Hyuuga mansion dressed in simple black clothes along with his signature jacket. He had anticipated the dinner all day. In fact when he had been with Hinata earlier in the day he could not stop talking about it. Meeting Hinata's family was something Naruto was looking forward to. 

He softly knocked on the entrance door and waited. Within a few seconds a young girl slid open the door and invited Naruto into the genkan. Naruto took off his ninja shoes and turned to greet the girl. She had long flowing dark hair down to her waist. She was fashioned with a formal black kimono and had the white eyes of the Hyuuga.

"You must be Hanabi. It is nice to meet you," bowed a smiling Naruto.

"Nice to meet you too," she softly spoke bowing as well, "Please follow me."

Naruto followed behind Hanabi through the extravagent mansion. They passed through a simple practice ground that was directly by the entrance way. Going down the halls, Naruto gazed upon the walls made of the finest wood in the whole village. Turning a corner they passed by the most beautiful courtyard Naruto had ever seen. A little past the courtyard Hanabi stopped at an illuminating door. She slid it open to reveal Hiashi, Neji, and Hinata sitting on soft pillows around a simple but fancy table. It was not extremely huge but it was big enough to have all five of them sit around it.

Hanabi made her way and sat by Neji who was wearing simple white robes much like Hiashi's robes, who was sitting at the front of the table. But the person that stood out the most to Naruto was Hinata. His jaw slightly dropped and he blushed a little at seeing Hinata in an elegant white and black kimono. Her soft ink-blue haired flowed so nicely against her clothes. She radiated beauty to Naruto and he began to grow slightly nervous and giddy.

Still blushing, Naruto bowed his greetings to everyone and gently sat down next to Hinata. Not a moment sooner came in a few servants bringing in the most delicious looking food that Naruto had ever saw. The aromas of the food tickled Naruto's nose so much that he had to try his best not to drool. The servants placed several plates in front of each of them that consisted of a plate of onigiri, tempura and kushikatsu, and a delectable bowl of miso soup.

"Itadakimasu!" shouted Naruto, "Oh gomenasai, that was kinda loud, heh-heh-heh."

Naruto blushed at his overexcited reaction but everyone found a good laugh in it. Everyone dug into the delicious food that was placed before them.

"Wow this is amazing," complimented Naruto, "I haven't had anything this good in uh…never. This is the best homecooked meal I have ever had."

"I'm glad you like it. It seems that you don't usually get much homecooked food," smiled Hiashi watching Naruto chow away.

"Huh?!" Naruto said with a mouth full of food. Again everyone laughed and Naruto smiled and tried holding back from laughing.

The rest of the dinner went wonderfully. Everyone was enjoying themselves, even Hanabi and Neji were highly active than their usual calm selves. Time quickly passed as they all chatted away. Naruto did not want the night to end.

"That hit the spot," Naruto rubbed his stomach.

Hanabi and Neji bid their goodbyes as they left for bed. Hiashi also excused himself to prepare for tomorrow's day. Naruto and Hinata were left alone and she led him over into the courtyard that Naruto had passed by earlier. It was even more incredible than Naruto thought in the beginning. A small gentle creek flowed into a little pond that had fireflies zooming all over it. Beautiful white and blue flowers were spread all across the courtyard. It was an amazing sight to see.

Naruto and Hinata sat down and a stone bench that was next to the moonlight pond. Hinata leaned up against Naruto and gently rested her head on his shoulder. Naruto had never felt more comfortable with a person in his life like he did with Hinata. Sitting there together they both felt that they were the only people in the world. It was just them two and no one else.

During the whole night something had been on Naruto's mind. He had been afraid to ask from fear of offending or bringing up a bad subject with Hinata, but he really wanted to know.

"I apologize for asking this but what ever happened to mother?" asked Naruto.

For a few seconds she was quiet but she felt comfortable to tell Naruto, "She died when I was five."

At that moment Naruto was overflowed with a feeling of regret that he possibly brought up something that Hinata did not want to remember, "Gomenasai, you don't have to say anything else."

"It's alright Naruto I want you to know," she assured him, "Um well she had died giving birth to my sister. Sometimes I get sad when I can't remember things about her. I was really young and back then I felt even worse for my sister for never meeting our mother."

"It must have been tough losing your mother."

"It was but I was able to move on. I think my father had a real tough time though but he always appeared to hold it in," she softly said.

"Do you remember what she looked like?"

"I can't remember much but she was a beautiful woman with long silky hair like mine She was so caring and happy. I may not remember many things but I do remember that she was always smiling," she lifted her head up and smiled at Naruto, "What do you know of your mother Naruto?"

"Hmm, only what Ero-sennin has told. Apparantly her personality was a lot like mine. She was tomboyish and had a head of red hair. Tsunade-baachan also told me that she had grown up to be a very beautiful woman," Naruto paused for a second and slightly chuckled, "but I get my looks from my dad. Yondaime the genius shinobi."

"I'm sure they were both wonderful people. Your mother must have been a nice person and Yondaime did so much for this village. Now you have followed in his footsteps," Hinata cheerfully said.

"Yeah your right Hinata. Even though there have been some hard times I am very grateful for the things I have now," Naruto leaned forward and gently kissed Hinata on the foreword, "and I'm glad that I'm with you."

Hinata blushed from Naruto's comment, "I am too."

They sat there for a few more minutes and suddenly Naruto realized that he had some training to do. He told Hinata he had to go but wished he could stay longer. She led him outside. When they were finally at the entrance into the mansion, Naruto tenderly kissed Hinata as he bid farewell.

As they released lips Hinata unconsiously blurted out something she didn't except, "Aishteru."

Not even noticing Naruto jogged off waving goodbye as he headed towards the Uchiha district. A red-faced Hinata waved goodbye hoping that he had not heard what she said. But she knew that she meant it.

Naruto neared the district and just as he began entering the place he came to an abrupt stop. 'Did Hinata just say she loved me' he ask himself. He swore he had heard her say that and knew that his ears had not deceived him. A smirk slowly spread across. He too felt such a gamut of emotions. It's true they had not been together for too long but deep down Naruto knew that they were always meant to be.

"What a wonderful night," he said to himself.

* * *

_starting to work on chapter 9 and will have it up as quickly as possible. it was really fun writing that kisame scene. hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Mizu Bunshin - Water Clone  
Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu - Water Shark Projectile Technique  
Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone_


	9. Chapter 9: A New Ally

_finally finished this chapter. took me awhile to do it. haven't had much time at the moment but that shouldn't happen again anytime soon. this chapter as several short scenes so if it feels a little lopsided or quickened I apologize. well enjoy it and plz R&R._

_so desu - I see, wakatta - understood, gomen - sorry, aishiteru - i love you_

* * *

Chapter 9: A New Ally

Naruto hurled a single kunai at a stationary Itachi causing him to burst into crows. Naruto quickly formed a handful of Kage Bunshins and charged towards the position Itachi had been. Two of them swung to the left and another two swung to the right and one stood in the middle. They all whipped around to see Itachi standing in front of them. The four Kage Bunshins quickly launched kunais at Itachi. They all dug into Itachi's body causing him to take a few steps back. The Naruto in the middle stood stationary with his eyes closed focusing intently. Then instantly Itachi vanished into nothingness. Naruto quickly opened his eyes and suddenly swung around wielding a kunai. As he swung, Naruto slashed across the air hitting Itachi across the face. The Kage Bunshins dissappeared and Naruto took a few steps back from Itachi.

"You're the real one," boasted Naruto.

A cut slowly showed across Itachi's face and a dabble of blood slid down his cheek. Naruto had seen through the genjutsu and finally landed a real hit on Itachi.

"It's been a month since we started training so I excepted you to be able to discern every illusion by now," Itachi coolly said.

"Well now that I'm able to read the genjutsu and cancel it better are we going to do anything different now or are we still going to be doing this?" Naruto sounded a little bored.

"Yes and no," he flatly answered.

"Care to be more specific?" asked Naruto being somewhat commanding.

"Yes I will keep on constantly using genjutsu like this on you and no because I am going to teach you something new."

"Wait you mean a new jutsu?!!!" Naruto said now excited, "What is it? Is it some kickass ninjutsu to use against sharingan users or a taijutsu move that sasuke won't be able to keep up with."

"Neither of them," Itachi answered in a monotone voice.

"Then what else could it be?" Naruto thought for a second and then realized, "Your not going to teach me some genjutsu??"

Itachi nodded his head in agreement. Naruto's excited demeanor quickly changed to a calmer more confused one.

"Would it even be worth the time? I mean I'm not much of a genjutsu user and it would be useless for me to learn some if I'm not even be able to do well or even at all." 

"I know that genjutsu is not your style but I will teach you one jutsu that I'm sure you can do. It is a simple genjutsu that you can use in tight spots."

"Okay then what is it?" Naruto asked.

"Kari no genkaku," Itachi blankly answered.

"Huh?! What exactly is that suppose to do?" asked a perplexed Naruto.

"It is a genjutsu that creates a brief illusion of yourself. It is the move I have been using to make you think I'm in a spot and after you attack my body vanishes as if it was never there."

"OH, that move. So I'll learn how to do that…um how though I don't see you doing any special trick for it or anything?" Naruto became more confused.

"It is a jutsu that does not require hand seals but you must become very proficient doing it if you want it to be effective. It needs someone who has good control over their chakra and your control is decent enough."

"What exactly does it do?"

"It leaves an imprint of your chakra in a certain area for a limited time creating the illusion of you and allowing you to escape tight spots. A residual form of you that leads the opponent to believe you are there when you are already easily somewhere else," explained Itachi.

"So desu, but wouldn't that prove meaningless against a sharingan user. Sasuke would be able to see through that."

"That is why I said you would use it in tight spots to get out of a situation. At first Sasuke might not see it since it is you using genjutsu but you will not be able to pull it off on him everytime."

"Then let's begin…" Naruto began saying.

"Tomorrow," Itachi cut in.

"Ugh fine whatever. Tomorrow then." Without warning Itachi vanished and was gone, "Hmm, he always does that."

He slowly sighed and began making his way out of the district. Naruto felt like he was really getting the hang of seeing all this genjutsu stuff. But actually learning a genjutsu move seemed more challenging on top of continuing to do other training. However, he was up to the challenge and become a little anxious to begin.

On the walk home Naruto thought about how busy he has been over the past month. All day he would work, in the afternoon he would spend his time with Hinata or train with her, and during the night he would train with Itachi. He had not been able to see his other friends except when he would send them on missions. At that moment Naruto felt slightly detached from almost everyone else, but he was certain that they all understood. It was a tough job to be Hokage especially with a war getting closer and closer by the day.

On top of it all things seemed real stacked against Konoha. Sasuke already had two of the five great shinobi countries allied with him and information had been coming in of him picking up missing-nin to bounty hunters and even freelance assassins. He was really pulling out all he could to go up against Naruto and the village. Every once in a while Naruto would have his doubts if they could beat Sasuke but he quickly wiped that thought away. This village has many skilled ninja that would do anything for the village.

Naruto tiptoed his way through the mansion and into his room. He slipped into his light blue pajamas and laid down on his bed. Looking up at the ceiling Naruto thought more about what was going to happen. Only time would tell but right now Naruto would enjoy everything he could before everything changed. This war will be a very sorrowful one filled with death and destruction. Laying there Naruto made a solemn vow that if it came down to it he would give up everything to save the village. Even if it was his life.

* * *

It was early morning and a thick mist shrouded Kirigakure. The Mizukage sat in his office up earlier than he usually was. Not much work had come in so far and it looked like not much more would arrive. He sat staring at the wall still pondering what his former friend had told him. It had been a month and some days since Kisame had showed up but Harou still could not shake it off. While he thought about it, Harou's attention was diverted by a shinobi who was standing wait in front of his desk.

"What is it?" asked Harou not looking at him.

"Sorry to disturb you Mizukage-sama but our anbu forces have gathered the information on Sasuke that you wanted."

"And?" Harou looked up at him.

"It has been confirmed that Kaminari no Kuni has joined Sasuke as well as a wide array of other people."

"Hmm, so he was right," he said to himself.

"Excuse me sir?" asked the confused shinobi.

"Nothing…I'm going to need a message delivered to Konoha immediately."

"What is the message Mizukage-sama?"

* * *

Naruto slowly strolled through the halls of the mansion. He was taking a short break from his work because he did not want to fall asleep. The only problem was that he drifted back and forth from sleep while walking. The late night training was worth it but Naruto was losing his sleeping time because of it. It was no concern however only a small sacrifice.

As Naruto made his way back to his office, a frantic Shizune came rushing up behind him. A look of urgency was on her face and in her hand held tightly was a folded piece of paper.

"Naruto-sama this message was just delivered by a carrier-bird from Kirigakure," she said quickly.

"Ugh…alright let me see it," Shizune handed him the paper and Naruto dully opened it. Suddenly the sleepy look on Naruto's faced changed to a more serious one, "Shizune send for Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan as soon as possible. Have them wait in my office while I go see Homura and Koharu."

Naruto quickly rushed off down the hall and Shizune followed suit. She wondered what the message had said that instantly changed Naruto's demeanor but would have to wait to figure it out later.

Like a speed demon Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop. The wind blasted through his hair and jacket as he hurried to Homura and Koharu's house. He abrutly stopped in front of the humble abode of the two council members. Naruto began softly tapping on the door which turned to a louder one as if he was trying to bang it down. The door finally was opened up Koharu. She motioned for Naruto to come inside and have a seat on the couch. Naruto sat down while Koharu called for Homura to come into the room.

"What's wrong Naruto-sama?" asked Homura as he sat down in front of Naruto.

"We've just received a message from Kirigakure and I've come here to tell you what it's about," he quickly answered.

"So what does it pertain to?" asked Homura.

"Simply put they are offering an alliance with Konoha."

For a few minutes everyone was quiet. The two elders took a few seconds to soak in the information. It may have not been much to soak in but it was very important nonetheless.

"Well what are we going to do? I've already asked Shizune to call in Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan," commented Naruto.

Homura and Koharu looked at each other and both nodded their heads in agreement, "I can already see you have made a decision so proceed with it. Koharu and I both will grant the terms of an alliance with Kirigakure."

"So Naruto-sama you can send Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura to go see the Mizukage," Koharu added in.

"Then I'll get right on it."

* * *

Shizune, Kakashi, and Sakura stood waiting outside Naruto's office. Shizune still had a look of confusion which only caused the other two to worry about what was going on. Not much time went by for them to see Naruto scurry up to the office and invite them in. The two of them stood in front of the desk while Naruto sat down and Shizune moved over to stand beside his chair. Naruto was silent for a moment while he wrote something down on two scrolls and handed them to Shizune. Then he reached into his pocket and handed Kakashi the note. He slowly opened the folded paper and intently read its contents.

"What does it say Kakashi-sensei," asked Sakura.

"It's a message about requesting an alliance from Kirigakure," answered Kakashi.

Shizune then handed Sakura the scrolls that Naruto had filling out just moments ago, "And what are these for?"

"I want you two to go see the Mizukage. Those scrolls that your holding need to be delivered to the Mizukage himself. They must be delivered and signed by him. Only one of them needs to be brought back. Those scrolls are the treaties for an alliance."

"Well you can count on us Naruto-kun," smiled Sakura.

"Be very cautious and guard those like your life depended on it. This is only going to be a simple B-rank mission but will be bumped up to an A-rank if you two have a run in with anybody."

"Wakatta. Then we should get going," spoke Kakashi.

"Be careful you two," Shizune calmly added.

"Hai," both of them responded.

Both of them slightly bowed and made their exit. Naruto leaned back in his seat and let out a soft sigh. He was very positive they would not encounter any enemies but no one could be sure. Naruto was slightly worried but knew they would be able to overcome anyone they ran into. He just hoped that it wouldn't come down to that.

* * *

The pink-haired kunoichi waited patiently at the gate for Kakashi. She was wearing a reddish-pink mini-skirt and sleeveless shirt that covered her now filled out chest. Her exposed midriff was covered by fishnet stockings. Flowing elegantly under her skirt was a white cloth covering her left leg and partly her right. It went down slightly past her knees to the top of her black shin-high shoewear. Her shoulder length hair blew gently in the wind as she kicked some dirt around while waiting and a white circle on the back of her shirt glowed vibrantly through the small clouds of dust she created.

"Already here," said an arriving Kakashi.

"What do you mean 'already here'? I've been waiting for almost an hour for you to come. It doesn't take that long to pack," she scolded him.

"Gomen, I lost track of time while enjoying the road of life," lied Kakashi.

"Whatever you're here now so let's get going."

Sakura walked over to a black bag and flung it on her back. Then both her and Kakashi set off down the dirt road. When they finally came a good distance down the road they quickly took of into the forest towards the direction of Mizu no Kuni. Both of the leaf shinobi rapidly jumped from tree branch to tree branch.

"Kakashi-sensei can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Is it wrong of me to not completely hate Sasuke-kun after everything he has done?" she asked sadly.

"It simply is what it is. There is no wrong or right about how you feel. Once upon a time he was your teammate, friend, and former crush. It is hard to let go of those things no matter how much grief he has caused. He also abandoned his bonds and the village as well as killed Tsunade-sama. Those things can't just be easily forgiven or even deserve to be forgiven. Either way you cannot just erase the good memories because of bad ones that he has created," Kakashi verbosely spoke, "And to be quite honest Sakura-san there are times where I don't truly feel hate for him. I only feel that I could have done something more."

"Arigato Kakashi-sensei," she sincerely said.

"You don't have to thank me. In times like these we have to stick together. We must do the right thing despite feelings of regret or guilt…" Kakashi paused, "Hey let's say we let the past go and fight to keep a future not only for us but for the next generation to come."

"Hai," spoke Sakura as a soft smile crept across her face, "…for the next generation."

* * *

In front of a small lovely lake and under the shiny stars rested a sleepy Hokage and his girlfriend. Naruto rested his head on Hinata's lap while she gently caressed his spikey hair. Small sounds of snoring echoed from a slumbering half-asleep Naruto. Lovingly Hinata stared down at his peaceful face. There was no signs of worry, no signs of despair, or signs of confusion. Just a smiling face of a hard-working Hokage. In this simple moment there was complete serenity.

Still even though she enjoyed this feeling, the looming war still clung in the back of her mind like the morning dew to the grass. A small fear had been settling deep in Hinata's thoughts. This war was going to bring much sorrow but the thing she feared most was that she could lose her precious love. The more she thought the more the fear began to spread. It was like an infection that one could not get rid of.

As the feeling built up inside her, a few saddened tears trailed down her cheeks. They splashed softly onto Naruto's face making him twitch open his closed eyes. He looked up to see a quiet sobing Hinata. Lifting up his hand to her face, Naruto gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and under her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"I-I'm scared Naruto…" she sobed.

Naruto sat straight up and held Hinata's supple hands in his, "please tell me."

"This war that is going to happen. I'm just so scared that I will lose. I fear that you could die if things get so bad," as more tears started rolling down her face.

Naruto embraced her and held her in his comforting arms. Hinata soaked Naruto's shoulder in tears as she let loose her built up emotions. It hurt Naruto to see Hinata like this. In his own mind he feared the same thing. If he were to lose her there was no telling what he would do, but in his heart he swore that he would protect her no matter what. After a few minutes Hinata stopped crying and moved a little back to be face to face with Naruto.

"Aishiteru Hinata, and I swear that I will always be here. I know that things will be hard soon but nothing bad will happen to me I promise. In fact it is a promise of a lifetime," he grinned.

"Arigato Naruto," she softly kissed him on the forehead, "I believe you."

* * *

Sakura and Kakashi patiently waited outside the council office of the Mizukage. It had already been almost a week since they left Konoha and it would probably take just as long to get back. Sakura paced back and forth in front of the door while Kakashi read his usual literature. Time passed and finally a man opened the door letting out six elder shinobi. The simple man then motioned for Sakura and Kakashi to come in. He then closed the door behind him as he left the two leaf-nin in the room.

Sitting on the other side of the rectangular table directly in front of the two was the Mizukage. His blue locks laid roughly across his face and on the back of his head. His robes nested deep in the chair and his scar radiated as openly as ever.

"I must be forward and say it is an honor to meet the famous Copy Ninja," he rose up and bowed to Kakashi, "as likewise for Tsunade-hime's apprentice, the new Sannin Haruno Sakura."

"Oh there's no need for that," the slightly embarrassed Kakashi waved off, "I would have to say it is more of a privilege to meet someone as widely known as you. But that aside we have come to take care of the formalities for our alliance."

"Indeed we do have business. Have brought the scrolls with you?" as he sat back down

Kakashi and Sakura each pulled a scroll out of their pack and placed them in front of the Mizukage. He then proceed to untie the string around the scrolls and read over one of them. After a few minutes of studying it over, Harou reached into a drawer that was under the countertop and pulled out a pen. Afterwards he went on to sign both of the scrolls and handed one back to Kakashi.

"Arigato Mizukage-sama. We will give this to Naruto-kun," spoke Sakura.

"Before you leave I would like to ask you two something if you don't mind. I'm just a little curious," Harou smoothly said.

"We don't mind at all please ask away," answered Kakashi.

"This Uzumaki Naruto I've heard so much about recently is he really that special? You don't have a problem with such a young leader?"

"He really is something. Naruto may be inexperienced right now but he makes up for that with his big heart and strong determination. He has a very special power that affects many people. I for one am very grateful to have him as our leader," commented Kakashi.

"And what about you Sakura-hime?" asked Harou.

For a few seconds Sakura was quiet but then softly spoke, "I could…I could imagine no one else but Naruto-kun being our Hokage. He is my teammate and friend but most of all he is family. He is like a brother to me and I would do anything to keep him safe. In my heart I know that Naruto-kun will be the greatest Hokage our village has ever had. Even if someone only spoke with him for a few minutes they would feel the warmth that flows from him and could probably agree with what I say. In fact, it is one of my dreams to help Naruto truly fufill all of his own. I want to be a person he could always depend whenever he needed to."

"So desu," Harou smirked, "I would like to meet this special kid one day."

* * *

_More action should start surfacing and the plot development might take a great increase in speed. I'm basically writing all of this off the top of my head as it comes. The only things I have set in stone are a few key plot points. Anyways hope it was enjoyable. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can._

_kari no genkaku - Temporary Illusion_


	10. Chapter 10: So It Begins

_I do have to say I really enjoyed writing this chapter. My motivation is sky high right now so I should be getting out my other chapters quicker. Let's just say that this chapter is going to get the ball rolling so to speak. Well enjoy it and R&R plz._

_wakarimasu - I understand, wakatta - understood_

* * *

Chapter 10: So It Begins 

"Not much farther," Kisame huffed.

The three month time period had finally passed since Itachi had left to train Naruto and now it was the moment to rendezvous at the Valley of the End. Kisame and Konan rapidly picked up their pace even though it was just barely getting dark.

Both of the former Akatsuki members had been quite bored during the three months. After they had gone to see the Mizukage the two of them had spent the rest of their time wandering around both Mizu no Kuni and Hi no Kuni burning the days away waiting. Now they would just have to wait a little longer for Itachi when they make it to their destination.

"Do you have any clue what Itachi is going to have us do next?" Konan asked Kisame.

"I don't know exactly but both of us know what is at stake here. I'm sure Itachi has already planned the rest out. Now all that we need to do is set it in motion and watch the others move things along," Kisame stoically answered, "But all of this probably would have been easier if Itachi had gotten to Sasuke when he was seeing the Tsuchikage."

"That would be why Itachi decided to train Naruto earlier than he planned too right?"

"Hai, it was only an early detour however. Let's hope the Kyuubi kid has learned enough for what is to come."

* * *

Naruto stood motionless while he focused his chakra to flow around him. A small tint of blue could be seen around his body. Not giving Naruto the ample time to concentrate, Itachi charged him head on. A kunai slid out from his sleeve into his hand and he proceeded to hurl it towards Naruto. A quick gasping sound came from Naruto as the kunai dug into his chest. Naruto coughed up some blood that slid down the ends of his lips. Itachi approached Naruto and pulled out the kunai causing blood to drip down onto the cold pavement. Without warning Itachi swung his kunai wielded arm back and forth slashing Naruto several times across his body. The injured Naruto stumbled a few steps back trying to collect himself. Not wanting to give any breathing room, Itachi continued on with the head-on assault. Just before Itachi could cut through Naruto again, a sly smirk appeared on the blond's face. In an instant during Itachi's strike the seemingly injured Naruto vanished.

An unnoticable smile flashed on Itachi's face for a mere moment as he received a stiffling kick to his side. Naruto then whipped in front of Itachi kneeing him in the stomach and swinging a hard uppercut into his face. While Itachi took a few steps back from the receiving blows, Naruto quickly performed a few hand signs ending with him slamming his palms together.

"Fuuton: Reppushou!" he shouted.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind slammed into Itachi's body hurling him into the wall of an old house directly behind him. The wood broke on impact as Itachi went through it. Naruto cautiously approached the destroyed wall and dust cloud around it. Sounds of rummaging came from the broken pieces of wood while Naruto watched Itachi step out of the newly developed hole.

"I thought we had agreed to prohibit the use of ninjustu," said Itachi as he dusted off his black cloak.

"I guess I was too into the action," laughed Naruto.

Itachi slowly took a few wobbly steps up to Naruto and placed his hand on the nearest wall of the small alley street. For a moment Naruto watched a little confused by Itachi's slow movements but quickly noticed that his sharingan was off. He recalled that during the time of training Itachi had briefly talked about his now near blind vision. Itachi nestled his back up against the wall.

"You finally pulled of kari no genkaku perfectly. You just need a little more experience in using it quicker and it should become a dependable jutsu in your arsenal," he spoke flatly, "But as you well know this will be the last day of your training."

"I know and thanks for everything you have taught me."

Naruto took a few steps past the resting Itachi and stared up at the night sky. A full moon burned brightly in the black sky. It made Naruto remember that his training with Itachi had started on a full moon night like this. Standing there Naruto could feel that he had come a long way in understanding how to properly fight a sharingan user. During the last month of the three month stint Naruto had become increasingly better at landing actual hits on Itachi and getting out of genjutsu almost instantly. This was definitely going to help Naruto later on down the road.

Naruto looked behind him at Itachi and also remembered that during the last month he had been turning his sharingan off more and more. Even though Itachi was a missing-nin and cold-blooded killer, Naruto could not help but feel a little sorry for him. Seeing Itachi stand there so simply and appearingly exhausted pushed Naruto to again ask why he was going this far to help him.

"Well since you'll be leaving soon could you at least tell me why?" asked Naruto while he turned around to look straight at Itachi.

"Why I truly did all this?" Itachi blankly responded.

"Hai."

Itachi was silent for a few minutes and finally let out a deep sigh, "I recall telling you that you have the strongest bond with him."

"There's something more isn't there. I can see it in your eyes. They may appear cold to many others but I feel I've spent enough time with you to be able to read you somewhat."

"Fine…I know you are the only one that is capable of stopping my little brother. I may be cold, heartless, and detached most times but I for one know that Sasuke must be stopped. If he were to be successful in his goals then this world will be led to complete destruction," for a moment Itachi paused, "Years ago I remembered asking you why my brother had meant so much to you after he abandoned you and you had told me…"

"That he was like a brother to me," Naruto cut in.

"Exactly and maybe if I trained you to fight him and finally stop him it could be the most brotherly thing I could do for him. To save him from himself," Itachi leaned off the wall and stood staring straight at Naruto, "I can't change my past and I neither regret the things that I've done. It was the path that I had chosen. But if I ever was to do anything decent then why not help the person who was a better brother to Sasuke than me."

"I think I understand. I also understand that I was naïve to think that I could bring Sasuke back. I know that when it really comes down to it I will have to kill Sasuke. It is my duty to protect this village from anyone even if the very person wanting to destroy it is like a brother to me," Naruto softly spoke.

"Yours and Sasuke's path are fated to cross again. It is your choice of what to do when the time comes."

Itachi reactivated his sharingan and slowly walked past the stationary Naruto. He slowly lifted up his head to likewise stare at the full moon. What he had just said was true but there was still one thing that Naruto was not ready to know. 'The time will come when they will be ready for what is to come' Itachi thought to himself.

"I wish you well Uzumaki," and just like that Itachi was gone.

A part of Naruto wondered if he would ever cross paths with Itachi again while he walked home. During the three months Naruto had seen a different side of Itachi and now after what he just said expanded that feeling. Itachi was not like the person Naruto had met those several years ago. With that in mind Naruto had the strange feeling that there still could be something out of place; however, it did not matter to Naruto either way. It was possible he was just over-thinking things. After doing all this training though, Naruto knew he was more than ready for Sasuke. His own skills on top of that solidified things even more. The next time he crossed paths with Sasuke he would show him how far he has come and end it all.

* * *

Kisame and Konan stood waiting at the waters edge at the bottom of the valley. The enormous stone monuments of Shodai and Madara stood proudly facing each other. They were like tiny ants compared to the size of the monuments.

"Damn we've been waiting here for hours now," complained Kisame.

"You know for sounding so calm on our way here you're acting quite impatient," Konan commented.

"Whatever…I've been patient for three months. That is long enough," hissed Kisame.

While in their mid-bickering, a puff of smoke instantly appeared as Itachi showed up.

"Finally, I was about ready to pummel Konan into shreds of scrap paper," grunted Kisame.

"You wouldn't even be able to land a single attack on me," taunted Konan.

"Enough you two," Itachi demanded, "We have more business to discuss. It is a waste to fight with each other."

"Fine…you're right," said Konan.

"Lucky little origami girl," Kisame whispered to himself.

"So how did things go in Kirigakure?" asked Itachi.

"Well you probably got word that they are allied with Konoha now. I'm sure that the Mizukage didn't come to that consensus of his own accord," answered Kisame, "and what of the Kyuubi kid. Did the training do any good?"

"It was better than I expected. I have no doubts about him not being strong enough to be on equal footing with Sasuke now, if not better. Uzumaki is a hard-working individual and still has a lot of potential to get even stronger."

"You speak so fondly of him now Itachi. You're not getting soft on us are you?" Kisame responded.

"No it's just that he has gained my full respect as a shinobi."

"Well then what about this situation? Is Naruto prepared for that?" asked Konan.

"He isn't ready for that yet. Neither of them are and it isn't time for us to reveal to them everything. They would only get killed if we did. Besides either of them could die at the end of this war. Maybe even both of them," Itachi flatly answered.

"So then the next plan of action?" spoke Konan.

"The time will come when we will reveal everything to them but for now we just watch what goes on from the shadows. We will take no part in this whatsoever. It is not our war to begin with and we have to let them shape their own minds. We will not force them to make a choice," Itachi paused for a second and looked at Kisame, "When it comes time to test Naruto you'll be the one Kisame like I know you want to."

"Good, I'm sure it will be fun," Kisame grinned.

"And Konan if worse comes to worse then you must be the one to survive this no matter what," Itachi added.

"Wakarimasu Itachi-san," nodded Konan, "but who will test the other one?"

"It is my responsibility to do so," Itachi spoke in a serious tone, "Let's head out."

* * *

It was early in the morning as Team Hebi made their way through the forest. Suigetsu was dragging behind feeling like he would just fall over anytime and go back to sleep. Karin and Juugo were gingerly walking side-by-side with Sasuke. It was like this practically everyday. Everyone would get up early and move from base to base checking up on the Sound recruits or go from village to village gathering anyone willing and eager to join Sasuke.

The one person who was tired of it the most was Suigetsu but Sasuke would always tell him that they must keep moving so they don't encounter any trouble and to build up their forces as large as they can get. The whole routine had been going on for a few months now. Even though Suigetsu was the most tired, Karin and Juugo also were beginning to wonder when Sasuke would finally decide to take action.

"Tsk…UGH!!!! I hate getting up so early all the time," Suigetsu whined.

"Just shut your mouth and stop complaining. You do this every single time," said an irritated Karin.

"And you say that to me everytime. It just gets tiring doing this all the time," Suigetsu sighed, "Besides when are you going to actually order an act of war Sasuke?"

"Shh don't ask him that. Sasuke-kun doesn't have to tell you if he doesn't want to," said Karin even though she wanted to know too.

Suigetsu quickened his pace to be right next to Sasuke, "Huh Sasuke when are we going to get some action go…" Suigetsu was suddenly cut off as Karin yanked him from the collar of his cloak making him trip backwards, "What the hell is the matter with you!?"

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone and stop nagging him."

Karin proceeded to slam a fist into Suigetsu's head but suddenly stopped as she noticed Sasuke and Juugo had stopped walking. They both stared at the bickering Suigetsu and Karin. Sasuke let out a small sigh and decided he could just tell them now so the complaining would end.

"Five months," he said flatly.

"For what?" asked a somewhat confused Suigetsu.

"Five months until I start this war," with that being said he turned and continued walking on. Suigetsu and Karin stopped fighting and slowly walked behind Juugo and Sasuke.

"So what's the plan then Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.

"We're heading back towards Otogakure to gather more supplies."

"No I mean…"

"I know what you meant," Sasuke cut in, "Don't stress about our first plan of action five months from now. I will tell all of you before that time comes."

"Ok then," Suigetsu softly spoke feeling a little more satisfied.

The four continued their long walk back home. All of them were a little livelier now that they basically knew the starting date. Now they were just eager to know exactly what Sasuke's plans would be.

* * *

Naruto stood smiling as he watched several children running out of the academy to enjoy the rest of their day. Many of the kids were jumping for joy and giggling at every single thing. A few others gathered near a stump and praticed their shuriken throwing. It was very peaceful for Naruto to see such a happy sight.

His sight quickly turned to the tiny swing that hung so lonesome from the single tree. He slowly walked over to it and sat down. It brought back sad memories of when he would watch everyone with their own friends and parents as they left school. Naruto recalled the day when everyone had passed their genin test while he failed it for the third time. All the kids' parents were outside congratulating them as he watched the sight all alone. No parents and no real friends. It was a kid being rejected by everyone. But now things were so different. Now Naruto had all the friends he could ask for even some he could call family. He was also the Hokage now and was looked up to by many people in the village.

Naruto made his way through the ninja academy looking into every room as he passed them by. Finally he came up to his old classroom and let out a nostalgic sigh. Inside the open classroom Iruka and Tenten were chatting away. Slowly Naruto tapped on the side of the open door making his presence aware to them.

"Hey Naruto!" said a happy Iruka, "How's it going my former student of mine?"

"It's been busy as ever. This is been the only free time I've had all week," chuckled Naruto.

"And you're not spending it with Hinata-san?" Iruka teased.

"I just came from seeing her right now. This may be my free time but I've decided to spend it going around seeing the rest of the Konoha 11 and this is my last stop."

"So you're here to see me then," Tenten commented.

"Hai, I needed to discuss a matter of business with you."

"Then I'll leave you two alone," said Iruka as he walked out the door, "We should get some ramen together sometime soon Naruto."

"That would be great Iruka-sensei," he smiled, "Now Tenten I just wanted to pass on an invitation to you."

"Then pass it on Naruto-kun," she giggled.

"I've visited every person that is part of the Konoha 11 and basically given them an invitation. A few months from now I want to assemble a meeting with the Konoha 11 to openly discuss the upcoming war," he said flatly.

"Of course I'll accept the invitation but the only problem is that I would need to find a substitute teacher for my class," she responded.

"I've already arranged for someone to sub-in for you," Naruto pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Tenten, "These are the details of the exact date, time, and location of the meeting. Do not be late."

* * *

Five months slowly went by as everyone trained and prepared for what they anticipated would be a long and grueling war. Sasuke prepared plans for his first act of war while Naruto and the other elites of Konoha trained nonstop in wait of the war. After those five months the Konoha 11 assembled on the roof of the Konoha mansion to discuss about the war.

"I'm glad everyone could make it," spoke Naruto.

A group of serious shinobi were gathered together there with Naruto. Shikamaru was leaning up against the rail dressed in a tactical vest and black clothes with shredded sleeves as his new apparent style. Ino was in her typical purple attire that revealed her midriff and accentuated her simple curves. Choji looked much more like his father with his hefty brown hair and samurai like armor. He was munching down on his usual bag of chips.

A shirtless Rock Lee, who had just came from training, was doing squats and muttering to himself that if he couldn't do one thousand squats then he would have to do two thousand push-ups. Tenten was in loose black high-water pants and a vest with black trimmings. Neji was standing solemnly next to her in his white noble robe-like attire with a pair of dark brown pants.

Kiba had a black sleeveless jacket with a furry collar along with a sleeveless white shirt, bandages that wrapped around his right arm from his shoulder to his elbow and black pants. His short shaggy hair danced in the wind as he kneeled down to scratch behind Akamaru's ear. Shino stood mysteriously as always with his black attire and chin-high collar with his light blue jacket rustling softly. He did not have his hood on showing his jet black spikey hair and a clear view of his stylish shades.

Sakura slowly paced back and forth twirling her pink locks nervously. Hinata stood right next to Naruto in her unzipped purple and white jacket that fit nicely along her curvy body. She also wore dark blue pants and a midriff shirt that matched the color of her long silky hair. Her revealed midriff was covered by fishnet stockings that was under her shirt and up to the collar of her neck. And of course Naruto fashioned his usual orange and black-flamed jacket with simple black attire included.

"So are we going to get this thing started or what?" Kiba impatiently asked.

"You're always so impatient dogboy," Ino remarked.

"We'll I don't spend hours getting ready for a simple meeting like you do and showing up late," he barked back.

"Both of you argue all the time," Shino softly said.

"Oh stop acting so coo…," Ino said before being cut off.

"C'mon you guys we didn't come here to bicker. We came here to discuss this war we are about to have," Sakura cut in.

"Sakura-san is right. We need this time to think about what we are going to do," added in Rock Lee.

"Well first thing to present is that anbu intelligence has gathered as much information as they can on where Sasuke could first attack," Naruto opened the discussion.

"What have you concluded from the information?" asked Neji.

"Presently it looks that Sasuke will probably attack several possible small towns along the border of Hi no Kuni and Oto no Kuni. It is not exact which place it will be. With it being difficult to find out exactly where, I've already held an earlier meeting with the rest of the jounin as well as anbu. I sent out any available shinobi without hindering our defense here or sending too few to the possible targets."

"We could always evacuate the townspeople from each place." Tenten suggested.

"I've also thought about that but if we were to do that Sasuke would notice easily and change his tactics to go straight for Konoha while most of us evacuated people. It is the whole reason why we have not started on the offensive. Setting up protection for the people must come first. Besides there would be some people that would refuse to leave their homes despite the possibility of an attack and we cannot force anyone to do something they don't want to," commented Naruto.

"So a lot of people are aware of what's going on then?" Choji asked with a mouthful of chips.

"Even though I, the council, the feudal lords, and the daimyo have tried to keep things as quiet as possible so not to cause panic, word has still gotten out to most of Hi no Kuni about this war," he answered.

"This sounds so troublesome. If Sasuke attacks such small towns it won't make much of a statement to Hi no Kuni. So he's probably just doing this as a open declaration of war meaning that even though you sent some jounin and anbu to these locations, they won't have a tough time fighting off Sasuke's forces because he will only send such a small portion," Shikamaru thoughtfully said.

"Then that means Sasuke is probably looking to launch a large attack somewhere down the line that will shock and strike fear into the people of Hi no Kuni," spoke Shino.

"Either way Naruto had to do things this way cause there is still a chance Sasuke is looking to destroy a few towns as quickly as he can," Sakura added in.

"Um Naruto what about Sasuke's allies. Couldn't they attack around the same time Sasuke does?" asked Hinata.

"I felt that was very likely to happen but I had sent Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-san, and Sai to gather information about that but as of now there is no activity from neither Iwagakure or Kumogakure," he answered quickly.

"If that's the case then Sasuke planned on opening this war with just his men attacking," commented Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru is probably right about that, but couldn't Kaze no Kuni or Mizu no Kuni get attacked right now," Choji chimed in his mouth still full of chips.

"Gaara-kun and the Mizukage already sent the intel they gathered and they indicated that there was no activity around their borders."

"Well that sounds like a little relief at least," sighed Kiba, "It is kinda stupid though for them not to plan out for more than one attack to occur."

"Actually it isn't so stupid," Shino flatly spoke, "Sasuke is from Konoha and it would be in his interest to attack this land first before any other. It was his plans to start a war so he would have great influence over what his allies do. Besides if other attacks in other lands were occuring then that would not grant Sasuke our full attention and that is probably what he is aiming for."

"Well it looks like Sasuke is trying to force us into a standstill this early on," Neji stated, "So what else are we planning to do about this at the moment?"

"Right now nothing else can be done. Unfortunately we have no handle on the situation until Sasuke actually initiates the first attack."

"That sucks," complained Ino, "That makes me feel so powerless right now."

As soon as Ino had finished her comment the meeting was interrupted by the instant puff of smoke as an anbu member arrived to report to Naruto. While kneeling in front of Naruto, he removed his dog mask revealing that it was Yamato. A serious look seemed to be imprinted on his face causing everyone to feel a tad concerned.

"What have you got for me Yamato-san?" asked a serious Naruto.

"Gomenasai Naruto-sama but I bring some bad news. The little town of Kazuki, one of the possible locations, was nearly annihilated by Sasukes's men."

Everyone's eyes widened, shocked by the news. "And?…" was all Naruto could muster up to say.

"We we're able to cause the sound shinobi to retreat but Kazuki suffered many innocent casualties. It was like the enemy intended to just focus on destroying the town rather than engage with us and they were almost successful in burning the village to the ground," he answered Naruto.

Naruto tried hard to hold himself back from getting too emotional but he looked at all his friends to see the disbelieved looks on their faces. It was one thing to know that there was an attack coming but another thing to actually hear about it.

In as calm a manner as he could Naruto issued his next orders, "Neji and Shikamaru I want you to accompany Yamato back to Kazuki town. I want you two to do recon around the town and then help the townspeople. Sakura and Ino you will also go with them to heal anybody that needs it," and Yamato stood up after he finished speaking.

"Hai," they all responded.

"Oh and Yamato once everyone has finished I wanted you to evacuate the remaining townspeople and bring them to Konoha."

"Wakatta Naruto-sama," nodding his head.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the roof of his newly build home located in Otogakure, one leg dangling off the edge. It was seperated from the rest of the freshly built village located securely on a high hill overlooking the rest of the buildings. Trees blanketed the surrounding areas and the number of them increased especially around Sasuke's home. It was a simply build place. There was no fancy architecture or designs to represent superiority or nobility compared to others. It was just a plain dark blue building with black shingles that started level at the ends and curved inwards and up. His relaxed demeanor slightly changed when he heard someone step onto the roof causing the shingles to softly jingle below them. Sasuke only turned his head a little to see who it was.

"Well how did it go Suigetsu?" turning his head back to the horizon.

"It went as you wanted it. The town was nearly destroyed and we suffered very few casualties," Suigetsu reported.

"Good," Sasuke responded saying nothing else.

"There was something else though."

"And what is that?" Sasuke said sounding somewhat bored.

"I found this near the town and thought I would bring it to you," and Suigetsu handed him something folded up in a cloth.

Slowly Sasuke unfolded the cloth to reveal a blue headband. He gripped onto it and turned it over to reveal the symbol of the leaf with a distinct scratch across it. Looking at it gave no feelings of nostalgia or of any other sort. Sasuke's face was expressionless, yet for a split second a devious smirk swept across his lips.

"I guess this means it will be more interesting than I thought," he said outloud to himself.

"What do you mean?" asked a now confused Suigetsu.

"This is mine of course. I'm sure of that. It seems our little blond Hokage has finally realized the truth. So that means that he won't be holding back the next time we meet. I feel the intent to kill on this pathetic headband," Sasuke paused for a second and stuck the Konoha headband into a tiny bag that was located next to him, "But I will be the one to succeed. I will be the one to kill Naruto."

* * *

Sakura and Ino slowly made their way into the torn down town of Kazuki. Many homes and tiny stores had been burned down and there even was some that still had flames crawling on them. The townspeople and leaf-nin were doing their best to put out the remaining fires. As the two kunoichi walked through the place, a look of sadness and shock crept over their faces. Strewn across a few places were the dead bodies of some of the townsfolk. Bloodied or charred bodies laid lifeless on the cold ground. In many places throughtout the town they could see children crying over the bodies of dead parents or mothers and fathers shaking their young ones to wake up when they already knew they were gone from the world. It was an awful and unbearable sight for Sakura and Ino but they had a job to do. Both of them had to push down their emotions and help the injured.

Sakura and Ino split up to cover more ground. Sakura made her way down a blood-stained dirt road searching for anyone who could be trapped under the rubble of the destroyed houses or the sign of someone in need of healing. As she slowly walked on, Sakura felt a tiny tug at her skirt. She turned around to see a little girl that looked no more than four years old. She had black hair tied in pig tails and her cute little face was covered with smudges of dirt and dried tears. Her little blue dress was torn around the ends and held tightly in her arm was a small dirty white teddy bear.

"Pwease can you hewp my mommy. She fell and won't get up," said the scared little girl.

"Sure sweetie just take me to her," and the the little girl softly grabbed onto Sakura's hand and led the way.

The little girl brought Sakura up to a young looking lady that was laid flat across the soil. The lady had a few cuts and burns on her arms and some blood was splattered on her apron that she was wearing. Her hand was clutched tightly to her chest as it moved up and down as her breathing began slowing its pace. Sakura kneeled down and a green aura of chakra flowed around her hands as she proceeded to heal the cuts and burns. The little girl stood watching and trembling while Sakura healed the lady. As she finished up, Sakura noticed that her hand was relaxed and she had stopped breathing. Sakura made a quick check of her vitals and tried reviving her but it was no use. She was already dead.

"Gomenasai…but your mommy…isn't here anymore," she saddly told the frighened little girl.

"What do you mean?" her tiny little voice shook.

"She's gone sweetie," Sakura said hanging her head down.

The little girl approached her mom and began to slightly tug on her apron, "M-mommy, don't weave me mommy…I'm scared…pwease don't weave mommy!" she cried as tears stormed down her cheeks.

Sakura could not muster a single word to say. There was nothing she could say to comfort the little girl. She watched on as the tiny helpless girl cried her eyes out. Her mom was dead and the girl was all alone now. Sakura stood up as a few tears rolled down her face and dripped off her chin. Someone placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder so she turned her head to see that it was Yamato.

"This is what is difficult about war Sakura-san. Many innocent people lose their loved ones to the horrors of war. That is why we have to do what we can for everyone. It is tough to handle something like this but we must stay strong if we want to do our best to save people," Yamato comforted her.

"Still I feel so bad for her. It isn't right. She didn't deserve to see such horrible things especially her mom dying. How can people be so cruel?"

"I don't know why some people are that way. But we must put forth as much effort as we can to stop those kind of people don't you agree," Yamato turned Sakura to face him, "Come on there are a lot more people that need your help."

"But what about the little girl? I can't just leave her here like this."

"Don't worry Sakura-san I promise that I will personally take care of her."

"Arigato Yamato-san," she softly said.

* * *

"The surrounding areas look clear," said Neji with an activated Byakugan.

Neji and Shikamaru travled had been traveling along the edges of the town checking for anymore possible threats. It only took them a short amount of time to scope out the place for the enemy and it appeared that they were in the clear.

"That's a relief. I think these people have had enough to deal with today," commented Shikamaru, "It is so horrible to see such a sight. I cannot even begin to understand what the townspeople must be feeling right now."

"I agree with you. These people don't deserve to go through something like this," Neji was quiet for a moment as they made their way back into the destroyed town, "Did you notice the look on Naruto's face as we left?"

"You're talking about the shocked look on his face right?" Shikamaru responded.

"Not just that but the look of hate and disgust in his eyes. To have someone from our village order something like this especially Sasuke must hurt Naruto. He must hate Sasuke so much for everything he's done."

"To be honest I think all of us feel the same way. It is the greatest betrayal someone could make to turn on his former friends and country, even worse to harm it. I know that Naruto is going to make sure that he stops Sasuke no matter what. All of us have to stop him," said Shikamaru, "But I didn't just feel shock and hate from Naruto. I felt a very strong killer intent in him."

"I felt the same thing," Neji softly said, "I could feel that Naruto wants to kill Sasuke."

* * *

_well I hoped you liked it as much as I did writing it. working on chapter 11 right now and going to post it up very soon. thank you to all the people that have read this so far, I really appreciate it. But I want to personally thank X18999 with his compliment. You gave me the little extra motivation and confidence that I needed for this._

_Fuuton: Reppushou - Wind Release: Gale Wind Palm_


	11. Chapter 11: Growth

_finally here is chapter 11. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. The war is going to start rolling more and more. This is the longest chapter I've made so far at this point I put a lot of time into this one so give me them reviews. constructive criticism and all._

_koishii - beloved, kirei - beautiful, Ikimashoo - Let's go_

* * *

Chapter 11: Growth

The stars glared brightly in the dark of night. It was like they were staring down at the land watching life unfold in front of their shiny complex. It was a peaceful night for a slumbering town of no more than fifty people surrounded by the vast forest. A town of happiness and no worries rested under the starry black blanket.

Several yards into the forest, however, was met with a disrupting presence. Fallen leaves crunched beneath the feet of several purple-suited shinobi. The night may have been a time of rest but for these violence seekers it was the opportune time to strike the helpless. It was a small squad of about thirteen brutes making their way towards the unaware tiny town. It was simple childs play for the savage killers.

The closer they got to the edge of town the more elated they became. For all of them it was their first order to enact and they were eager to cause some commotion. As they slowly crept to the edge of the forest, all of them quietly reached into their tiny packs and pulled out kunais. This town was all too easy of a catch for them.

Suddenly, without a warning, a sharp metal kunai broke the night air zooming into the back of an unsuspecting shinobi. He let out a distinct yelp and fell hard to the ground. The rest of the shinobi quickly halted their position. One of the men gently made his way to his fallen comrade to check his status. The downed shinobi was already dead and before the guy who checked him could react another kunai came hurling at him dotting firmly into the side of his neck. The surprised shinobi gagged and coughed up blood as he too fell to the ground on the brink of death. This time the remaining shinobi darted their eyes around the large amount of trees around them. In a few seconds all of them had laid their eyes on a dark figure that was standing on a tree branch a few yards away.

"You guys sure picked the wrong place to attack this late at night," the mysterious figure spoke while jumping down onto the ground and strolling out of the dark, "Let me introduce myself, the name is Hatake Kakashi or as many know me as the famous Copy Ninja."

Without giving time for them to think up a plan of attack, Kakashi charged forward on the offensive. Almost instantly Kakashi suddenly flashed behind one of the attackers snapping his neck like a twig. Another one quickly ran at Kakashi as he quickly whipped out a kunai cutting the shinobi across the throat as he smoothly sidestepped the attempted strike. In the period of a few seconds Kakashi slip-and-slid his way across the ground slashing and gashing the hopeless sound ninjas. Finally Kakashi stood facing the last standing shinobi. The shinobi made an attempt to move but the only response that came was a slight twitch and a scared look of confusion.

"Why can't I move?" bellowed the deep-voiced man.

"Looks like you finished your side of the town pretty quickly eh Shikamaru," commented Kakashi.

Calmly Shikamaru walked up still staying behind the paralyzed shinobi, "I figure instead of gazing at the stars and waiting I would just dispatch the other group quickly. Besides if I hadn't got here in time to trap this guy in my Kage Mane no Jutsu then we wouldn't have anybody to question."

"I did kinda finish them off too quickly didn't I," laughed Kakashi, "And we could go ahead and report to Naruto right now."

Kakashi casually reached into his back pouch on his waist and pulled out a very unique kunai. In his hand was a shiny three-tipped kunai with a piece of paper wrapped around its hilt. Down one side of the wrapped paper was a line of written character markings. Kakashi had a proud smile under his mask as he gently flung the unique kunai a few feet in front of him. As fast as lightning and before the kunai even touched the ground, a bright flash of yellow instantly appeared in front of Kakashi and quickly grabbing onto the kunai just as it neared the soft brown dirt.

"That was a thrill rush. I never thought I would get to use my father's technique three days after the start of the war," said an excited Naruto, "Here Kakashi-sensei you should have this back now." Naruto flipped the kunai back to Kakashi who put it back into his pouch.

"You really have gotten the hang of your dad's Hiraishin no Jutsu," said a proud Kakashi.

"Hey you two remember we still got this sound guy here to chat with," Shikamaru interrupted them.

"Oh you're right Shikamaru. Well this is why I called you here Naruto-sama," Kakashi pointed to their captive.

The still paralyzed captive watched on unable to do anything to get out of his predicament. He was like a mouse who got caught trying to snatch the cheese. Only this time that mouse was him.

"Hmm, let's see here," Naruto took a few steps towards the shinobi, "To put it simply you have two options: choice one, you could answer a few of my questions right now which would be the easiest less hurtful one or, choice two, we can take you back to Konoha and have the head of the anbu torture and interrogation force Morino Ibiki have his way with you. So what do you say?"

For a moment he thought about the choices. He had heard about Morino Ibiki before and knew the man was very good at his job even to the point that anyone with a weak will power would go insane. Unfortunately this guy was one of those people. It was an easy choice for him and if he refused to answer any questions it would mean all of them would head straight to Konoha. He felt safe to proceed with things here. It would be the best option.

"O-ok I'll…answer you're questions?" he said sounding utterly defeated.

"You can release him Shikamaru, but if he even appears to run I want you to take him down," and the shadow binding the shinobi quickly receded.

"Alright then I'll start you off slow. Why exactly are you being ordered to target small towns? I know there is more to it than what I think."

"It's simple. We may be attacking only small towns but when you add them up it is a strategic thing to do," he dully responded.

"Expand on that. I really want to hear what the opposition's take is on this," said Naruto a little annoyed by the obvious answer.

"Hi no Kuni's borders have several tiny towns along them and what better way to trim at the enemy then to attack the things closest to the border…"

"So there are still some pretty big towns on the border as well," Naruto cut in.

"Well if we attack the smaller ones we lose less casualties and demoralize the people. It is also better to attack the weaker more helpless people," the shinobi maniacally laughed.

Without warning Naruto hurled a hard fist into the guys face. A dabble of blood rolled down the end of his lip, "I really don't find killing innocent people funny. Now for a more pressing question that is on my mind. Sasuke may only be ordering small towns to be attack and what you say sounds plausible enough but I know there is something more to it."

"I'm only a soldier. I would not be informed of things like that. I follow what orders I'm given and nothing else."

"Hm, you think you can get away with that lame excuse. I'm sure you still get some kind of information of what course your taking even though it might not be the full details," said a very intuitive Naruto.

"Fine…I had heard that…," he began to say before things suddenly took a different turn.

Out of the forest shot out a dark figure that charged towards the leaf-nin and their captive. Before any of them could react, the figure dashed by the captured sound shinobi and back into the depths of the forest. Naruto quickly reached into his pack to pull out a kunai only to see that the person was gone as fast as he had came. Slowly Naruto placed his kunai back and looked back at the sound-nin to be alarmed at what he saw. The now smiling enemy's hands were all of a sudden soaked in blood as he held tightly onto his slashed throat. The three leaf-nin looked on as the man gasped for a few puffs of oxygen before falling down dead. A look of anger and disappointment flushed Naruto's face.

"Looks like they had an extra one out there to clean up their own people for situations like these," commented Shikamaru.

"The guy probably already knew that someone was out there so he had no fear of having to answer a lot of questions. His life would be ended quickly if he complied," Kakashi added in.

"Damn it and I didn't even get anything really vital out of him," was all Naruto could say, "Well either way we should head back to the village."

* * *

The morning rays lept from building to building as the sun slowly rose on the horizon. The villagers of Konoha appeared like they usually did on the surface but slumbering deep in them were the thoughts of the war. Even though it was going on, everyone tried to act as normal as they could. No one wanted to feel the stress and worries that one day it could be their village that gets attacked. Instead the shinobi of Konoha took the burden upon their shoulders for the sake of the peoples' happiness.

An expressionless Naruto was taking a stroll through the streets getting a feel of the people he vows to protect. He could sense the uneasiness and attempt to keep it in but knowing that made Naruto feel even more pressured. It had only been a week since the start of the war yet Naruto could already feel the pain and future pain to come that would result from this war. It weighed down on him as if it were trying to bury him alive. Still something else was occupying his mind.

In the past week or so, Sasuke's army alone had demolished six towns and caused some serious damage to a few others. The town they saved a few nights ago was the first time that a they were able to protect a town from receiving no attack. It was something positive to build upon. To have only sent Kakashi and Shikamaru to protect the town and have them be succesful in killing about thirty sound shinobi was a feat in its own, but Naruto knew it had only been luck. The reality was that those shinobi were far inexperienced and even looked like they were freshly recruited into the ninja world. An obvious picture would show that Sasuke gathered anyone who had a high disdain for Hi no Kuni and especially Konoha even if they had no experience in the art of fighting. The whole idea just about frightened Naruto. The fact that Sasuke could be so influential, or manipulative enough, to gather many people to his side shows how much Sasuke wants to annihilate everything in his path.

Naruto's reflective thoughts were finally interrupted by the gentle touch of his caring girlfriend clutching onto his hand. A loving smile spread across his face as he stared into the tender eyes of his beloved. For a moment his mind went away from the war and into thoughts of Hinata. They had been together for eight wonderful months. Eight months of growth, trust, and even strength. But to both of them it seemed just like yesterday that they had confessed their feelings for each other. To top it off both of them were a comforting sight to see in the sea of troubles. Every person they would pass by would flash a genuine smile or give a greeting and compliment to the happy couple.

When it came down to it they had always been fated to be together. Both of their paths were extremely intertwined. On top of other things, being that Naruto was the Hokage however, he had deliberately not been giving Hinata difficult missions that could result in her possible death. He wanted to protect her as much as he could and could not imagine how he would go on if something happened to her.

"How are you this morning my koishii?" asked a chipper Hinata.

"I'm alright my kirei. Just taking another relaxing walk through the village," he answered with a bright smile.

"Well I'm glad your out getting some fresh air. I don't want you to stress out too much with everything that's going on."

"I know Hinata-chan. I'm really trying not to, but don't worry I am feeling really positive right now," he said hiding his doubts.

"Hmm," she softly said to herself knowing that Naruto was holding his depression in.

Both of them continued walking together all the way to the Hokage mansion and up towards Naruto's office. As they came down the hall to the office, Naruto had the slight feeling that something was out of sorts. It was like an infection expanding across an open wound. His worries were lengthened even more when he noticed that two people were waiting at his door.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei. Shizune-neesan," he greeted them, "Are you two waiting for me?"

"Hai, Naruto-sama. Both of us really need to speak with you," responded Kakashi.

Naruto nodded his head and opened the door as all four of them stepped into his office. Naruto leaned up against the front of his desk while his two visitors came to an abrupt stop as soon as they had walked in. Hinata walked closer to Naruto noticing that he was tensing up from the grim emotions that Kakashi and Shizune were displaying. In Shizune's hand were a few sheets of paper with writing that neither of them could make out. It was obvious to see that Shizune was even trembling.

"So what can I do for you guys?" he asked with a little shiver in his voice.

"Shizune-san hand him the papers," Kakashi dismally said.

Apprehensively she handed the papers to Naruto. Slowly he examined the writing on the white sheets. As he read through it, trickles of sweat rolled down his forehead and his hands began to shiver. A flushed look shadowed his face as if he had just seen someone be brutally slaughtered in front of his eyes. Naruto even frantically flipped through the papers reading them over and over to make sure it was real.

"When did this occur?" he said very quietly not looking up from the words.

"The attack began around 8 o'clock this morning," Shizune sadly answered.

"So this…only started two hours ago," Kakashi shook his head indicating it was real, "You mean to tell me that right now at this moment Hiraku Town is under attack!"

"Unfortunately it is," spoke Kakashi.

"That is a town of over four thousand people!" Naruto raised his voice angrily, "and you're just bringing this information to me now!!!"

"Please Naruto you have to calm down. I'm sorry but we just received this information right now," Kakashi tried to cool Naruto down.

"Many people are dying and I'm just standing here talking while that's happening! I'm going to Hiraku!" yelled Naruto.

Naruto got of the desk and rushed his way to the door but was suddenly yanked by the collar of his jacket. Kakashi forcefully pulled him enough to where Naruto was back in front of his face. Naruto could see the stern look in Kakashi's visible eye. He wasn't going to let Naruto go period.

"You're staying here and that is that!" commanded Kakashi, "You're the Hokage and the village needs you here Naruto!"

"But I have to go there and do some…" he said before being silenced by Kakashi.

"Just because you can't go yourself doesn't mean you can't do anything. It's obvious now that the reason behind Sasuke attacking smaller towns was to keep us unprepared for an attack of a larger scale while we have shinobi spread out in small squads at the numerous tiny towns scattered across the border," explained Kakashi, "On your orders we can assemble a group of leaf shinobi and head out immediately."

Naruto collected his fiery emotions together and issued his orders, "Kakashi-sensei, I want you to gather a group of at least fifty chunin level shinobi, a few jounin if you have time and hastily get to Hiraku town. Shizune-neesan I also want you to gather up a medical team to back them up and several anbu members to evacuate the people out of there. Everyone needs to be at the front gates in no more than ten minutes and heading out right away."

"Hai!" they shouted in unison.

During this whole time Hinata stood motionless. She could not believe what she was hearing. A town of over four thousand people being killed like bugs and it was even more shocking to her that it was happening right now. Even though she was frightened by it a there was a fiery emotion of wanting to help. Hinata knew that she had to speak up.

"Um…Naruto-kun," everyone turned their attention to see a serious look on Hinata's face, "Let me go with them."

Naruto's suddenly looked dazed by her comment. There was no way he would ever want to send Hinata to something so dangerous. He did not want to lose her. The blond Hokage stood silent lowering his gaze as to indicate his refusal to let her go.

"Naruto-kun please I want to help. I know that you're scared that I could die but remember when you comforted when I was scared of what can happen to you."

"I do," he said softly.

"You promised that you are never going to let that happen. You said you would come back to me no matter what and I trust you to keep your word. So please let me do this. Have faith in me Naruto-kun. I promise that I will come back to you no matter what. I will not die," she spoke sternly.

Naruto looked back up at Hinata and could see the determination in her eyes. It was the same look that she had when her and Neji fought so long ago. Naruto also remembered it was his cheering and words that made Hinata fearless and pushed her to wanting to become stronger. Naruto could see her displaying the same determination that he always had. She was just like him. A tiny smile grew on Naruto's lips.

"Ok you will go with them. But remember a promise is a promise and I'll hold you to it," Naruto flashed a thumbs up at her, "I have faith in you Hinata-chan."

"Hai," she quickly nodded her head.

"Kakashi-sensei since Hinata-chan is going do not spend time looking for any available jounin. Just worry about gathering the large group of chunin shinobi and I'll have her look for any two jounin to accompany you."

"Then we're heading out," Kakashi and Shizune hurried out of the office.

Naruto approached Hinata and held her hands in his own. He looked into her unwavering eyes that were much like his own. She wasn't the timid girl anymore. Now she was a strong women that could do anything she put her mind to.

"Be careful," Naruto tenderly embraced her in a kiss, "And make sure you kick some sound ass!"

* * *

"Kiba stop messing around," spoke Shino, "If we are late again then they won't let us enter the training grounds."

"Who cares," Kiba snorted while playing with Akamaru, "I don't even see why we go into the Forest of Death to train anyways. There are other perfectly good places to train. Besides we have permission to go in there, so it shouldn't matter if we get there late."

"It is part of the rules to be there at our allotted time so they can keep an eye on us," Shino responded sounding a little aggravated.

Before the conversation could go anywhere else, Shino and Kiba noticed a sudden arrival of a quick Hinata. She leaped off the roof of the one-story building and onto the dusty street. Her reserved and serious demeanor made both of them wonder what was going on.

"I'm glad I found you two so quickly," she softly said.

"What's up Hinata?" asked a puzzled Kiba.

"Kiba-kun…Shino-kun…both of you have to come with me to the front gates right away," she hurriedly said.

"What's the matter?" Shino asked who was just as confused as Kiba.

"I'll explain on the way. We have to hurry."

The three of them, including Akamaru, made their way to the front gates of Konoha. As they rushed through the village leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Hinata explained the whole situation that was going on in Hiraku and that they would be heading there as of now. A shocked look appeared in Kiba's eyes as well as Shino's, even though his were covered with his shades. They could not believe what had just been told to them.

"Is this really happening?" asked a stunned Kiba.

"It is," Hinata sighed, "So let's stay focused and do what we can."

As they got closer to the gates, the more they could see a good sized amount of shinobi in line formations. At the head stood Kakashi and off to the side was Shizune and a group of med-nins. Everyone either had a serious looking face or a stunned one, but at the same time it looked that everyone was prepared despite the short notice. The three young members of Team 8 landed swiftly next to Kakashi.

"To further inform everyone, the anbu squad has already been briefed and sent out," Kakashi finished saying to the large group, "Now that everyone is here we can finally head out. Remember that you have all been divided into twelve groups of five. Keep it that way and maintain a certain distance between each team. We cannot afford to be in bunches making it easier to kill us. Okay let's go!"

In a flash the respective groups split off and headed towards Hiraku. Team 8, Kakashi, and Shizune stayed close together for a few moments. Reaching into his equipment pouch, Kakashi pulled out the more improved earpiece radios. Without wasting a moment everyone placed the high-tech pieces into their ears. After they had finished doing so, the elite shinobi split of into their own respective groups.

All around her Hinata could feel the same thing. A sheer determination to protect the people of Hi no Kuni. This land was their home and everyone would lay their life on the line to protect that. The closer the distance became to reach Hiraku, the more determined and the stronger Hinata, as well as everyone felt. She knew that they would have their work cut out for them but everyone sure as hell were not going to let the sound shinobi walk all over that town without feeling the resistance from the shinobi of the leaf.

* * *

"C'mon Sasuke you should just let me go. It is so boring not doing anything," whined Suigetsu.

"There is no need for you to go. The shinobi that I sent to destroy Hiraku should be more than enough," explained Sasuke.

"So what?! All I've done so far is oversee the progress. Not being able to go into the action sucks!"

"Shut the hell up!!" Karin slammed her hard fist into Suigetsu's face.

Juugo quickly stepped between them before Suigetsu could strike back. Suigetsu gave Karin the evil eye look like he just wanted to tear her limb from limb. His composure was quickly gathered while he stepped back and rubbed his red cheek. Neither of them wanted to cause anymore of a commotion with Juugo inbetween them. Juugo might go into a rage if they did.

"Okay Karin I didn't mean to complain. I just wanted to partake in the fight," he sighed.

"Only a week into the war and you are already impatient," huffed Karin.

"Fine…," Sasuke suddenly jumped in, "You can go Suigetsu."

"You're being serious right?" Suigetsu grew excited, "I mean if you really don't want me to go then I won't."

"No, you can go into Hiraku. It will be a good way to keep your skills sharp and make you less on edge…Does anyone else want to go?"

Juugo shook his head no in silence as did Karin. A slightly smirk came across Sasuke's face. He was actually glad that Suigetsu was so eager to get into the action. It reassured Sasuke that Suigetsu will not hesitate in any situation that could come up. The other two may have not wanted to go but Sasuke also knew that it wouldn't be a smart thing to have them all leave.

"Have fun you little whiner," Karin stuck her tongue out, "Don't go dying out there."

"Heh don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll have a hell of a time," he grinned.

* * *

Team 8 slowly walked into the destruction of Hiraku. They could hear the blood-curdling screams of people being slaughtered in the distance. Buildings were catching fire and others were falling to the ground in a dust storm of debris.

"This is terrible!!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Let's be quick. We have to stop all this devastation," Shino added in.

All of them quietly and swiftly made there way down a few streets. Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan before they went deeper to the vast town. They would stop at the corners of buildings to survey the next open area they would be treading across next. At a few points they would come to a street intersection or a building where fellow comrades were engaged in battle, but they did not interject into the fights. What they were more focused on was getting into the center of the town. It would be the most likely place to encounter the large portion of the enemies' forces making it more discouraging to the sound and also Kakashi had ordered them to set up a foothold there. The next street they took was surrounded by several burning apartments.

"HHHEEELLLLPPPP!!!" screamed a scared little boy.

Team 8 watched on as they saw a very rugged sound shinobi approach a crouching little boy. There was a bloody kunai in his hand and a devilish look on his face. He was getting ready to kill this kid.

"Mmmmm looks like I missed one," the sound shinobi snickered, "I'm sure your blood will look good on my kunai."

"P-p-please don't k-kill me," stuttered the petrified little child.

The malicious shinobi slowly made his way over to the kid grabbing him up by neck of his shirt and lifting him up off the ground. He raised the bloody kunai above his head and began to slash it down into the boy.

"Tsuuga!!"

Before the kunai was able to strike a spinning Kiba dug into the side of the shinobi sending him flying into a nearby building. The kid landed softly onto the back of a quick moving Akamaru.

"You alright kid?" asked Kiba.

"Y-yeah…arigato!" the kid nodded his head.

"No prob kiddo," smiled Kiba while turning on his radio, "Hey we got a little boy who needs extraction."

As soon as Kiba had finished speaking into the radio a puff of smoke appeared next to them revealing an anbu member. The member took a knee while the little boy got onto his back. Then the anbu ninja disappeared as quickly as he had gotten there. A sigh of relief came from the three of them.

"It's a good thing we came through here," remarked Hinata.

"I agree," Shino added in softly.

On a roof of an apartment building directly adjacent from team 8 were a group of about nine crouched sound-nin. They focused intently on them preparing to jump down and strike the unsuspecting group.

"Alright is everyone ready?" whispered one of them.

Everyone nodded their head in unison, "Then let's g…," the shinobi suddenly stopped in mid-sentence.

He stunningly looked down at his foot to see a swarm of bugs spreading across it. Surprised yells came from the other shinobi as they jumped up trying to swat away the bugs, but it was to no use. One by one the shinobi fell down feeling the stress of having their chakra drained from them. The last conscious one looked up to see Shino standing on the ledge of the roof.

"I-It's not possible…," they shinobi stammered, "We…had you by…surprise."

"I guess you guys didn't know that Team 8 is the best surveying and scout team in all of Konoha. With my bugs, Hinata's eyes, and Kiba's super nose you had no chance of getting us off guard," Shino said proudly.

The last breath of air passed through the shocked shinobi as he fell to the ground. Shino stepped backwards off of the ledge and landed with a soft thud onto the ground below. Hinata and Kiba stood smiling at how effective they would be here.

"Show off," joked Kiba.

"It's not my fault that was so easy," Shino slightly bragged.

"Ok you two let's continue through the town. We gotta lot of work to do," Hinata spoke firmly. Team 8 quickly continued their trek through the town. Things were just beginning for them.

* * *

Suigetsu leaped forward off of a tree branch and into the town of Hiraku. His black cloak danced in the wind as he pounced from roof to roof. With a quick swiftness Suigetsu flipped down onto the street. Calmly he walked through the alleys having his hand loosely gripped onto the hilt of his giant sword. Even though he felt fully confident that he could quickly end anyone's life here, there was no room to take it easy. He could sense all too well that Konoha had sent several shinobi into Hiraku. Fighting could be heard going on from many places in the town. The only thing that he hoped for was that he would come across some easy prey. No need to put forth so much of an effort against such weaklings.

He rounded a corner to see a fellow comrade get struck down by a leaf shinobi. An excited grin spread across Suigetsu's face as the leaf-nin charged towards him. Suigetsu easily side-stepped the slashing of the man's kunai then pulled his huge sword off of his back. The leaf-nin had no time to react and the last thing he felt was the sharp pain as the sword dug through his midsection. Blood splattered onto the ground as the top half of the shinobi's body went flying through the air in the opposite direction of his lower half. Suigetsu rested up against the blood-dripping sword admiring his work. He was delighted that Sasuke let him go. This looked even more fun than Suigetsu had thought at first.

* * *

Kiba landed a jarring kick into the side of buff sound shinobi. He then whipped around behind him jamming a kunai into the guys back. Hinata quickly jumped in to strike a shinobi on the verge of slashing Kiba. The sound-nin went flying off into the wall from the agile hit of her palm. Several more shinobi collapsed from the draining attacks from Shino and his destruction bugs. The more they got to the center of the town the more enemies they encountered, however; the enemy wasn't much of a difficulty to take down for the three leaf-nin.

After they finished up with the enemy group, Team 8 again proceeded through the town. Along the path they took were deeply wounded bodies of fellow comrades. They all cringed at how bad the leaf-nin had been slaughtered. Most of them had had their limbs cut off while the lucky ones just had a few gashes all over their body. Either way it was an awful thing to see. It was like someone had easily ran a huge head cleaving blade right through them. Avoiding as best as they could to not stare at them, the three turned the corner onto a wide street.

Everyone abrutly came to a halt as they noticed a single man slowly going along with what looked to be a large bloody sword propped up on his shoulders. Drops of blood came off of the man's cloak leaving a steady trail behind him. Even it looked like a little blood was on the tips of his light colored hair. The three watched the man walk on slightly stunned at the work he more than likely did on the comrades they just passed by. Suddenly the vicious killer came to a quick stop and stood unwavering from his spot.

"Looks like I still got a few more leaf-nin to kill," proclaimed the man as he turned to face Team 8, "Hmmm well look at who we got here."

"Suigetsu…," all three of them muttered.

"Who would have thought that I would encounter shinobi of the Konoha 11. It's even more interesting that it's bug boy, dog breath, and the wimpy Hyuuga," he chuckled.

"Shut the hell up!!!" yelled Kiba.

"Kiba-kun calm down. He is only trying to agitate us," Shino softly said to him.

"I won't be disrespected by trash like him," responded an angry Kiba.

"Aw come on dog breath. I'm just trying to have some fun," Suigetsu teased him, "Besides you wouldn't be able to take me on, so stop acting so tough."

Without warning Kiba leaped off of Akamaru in a burst of rage. Kiba landly a clean fist into the stomach of Suigetsu only to witness him morph into liquid. Suigetsu quickly reformed himself and heaved his sword straight at Kiba who did not have enough time to avoid it. The sound of metal clanged as Shino instantly appeared in between the two blocking the sword with a kunai. Once more Suigetsu formed into liquid and reformed a few yards away from the two.

"Heh don't think you have the advantage cause I'm alone. I can easily take all of you on," he gloated.

"You're just all talk," Kiba exclaimed, "You don't stand a chance!"

Suigetsu laughed hysterically at Kiba's comment causing him to get even more enraged. Before Kiba could rush in again, Shino quickly raised up his arm to stop him. If they wanted to be successful they would have to work together.

"Kiba we have to be level-headed about this," Shino tried to calm him down.

"But Shino you saw what he did to our comrades. That just makes me even more angered on top of the disrespect," he growled.

"Both of you go on ahead," Hinata suddenly burst in after being quiet for some time, "I'll take care of him."

"What are you saying Hinata?!" said a confused Kiba, "We have to stick together. This guy is nothing if all of us fight."

"Kiba-kun is right Hinata," added in Shino.

"Look I understand that the three of us fighting him together would be more effective but we still have a job to do here. You two go on ahead and establish that foothold in the center of the town. That is what Kakashi-sensei wanted us to do remember?"

For a moment Kiba and Shino stood quiet. They knew that she was right and it was important for them to reach the center of town. It was hard for them to admit it and leave their friend behind but they knew all too well that it had to be done.

"You're right Hinata," Shino slowly said, "Ikimashoo Kiba."

Kiba nodded his head, "You better catch up with his Hinata."

"Hai!"

Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru quickly continued on deeper into the town leaving Hinata behind to deal with Suigetsu. A seemingly impatient Suigetsu finally shifted from his stationary position and turned towards Hinata. While taking a few steps towards Hinata, he flung his sword back onto his shoulder.

"It's about time," he complained, "I was beginning to get bored there. But you just made a terrible mistake to take me on alone Hyuuga."

"Don't underestimate me. I'm more than enough for you," Hinata firmly spoke.

"Is that so?? Then I guess we will just have to find out!"

In a swift fluid motion Suigetsu charged, sword straight out, towards Hinata. His sword slammed into the ground as he veered it at Hinata's position. Rocks and bricks flew up into the air from the sheer force of the weapon slamming onto the street. He continued swinging violently at her while she elegantly avoided every attack. A stiff jab of it also missed only resulting in the sword digging into the cemented street. Struggling to get his sword out of the ground, Suigetsu noticed that there was extra weight on his weapon. Slowly he looked up to see an agile Hinata balanced effortlessly on the blade. The back of her open hand was held sternly facing an increasingly aggravated Suigetsu. Then without a wasted second she side-flipped off of the blade hurling a kick towards Suigetsu's face. Just as her leg had contact with his head, Suigetsu changed into a liquid state quickly reforming behind the spot she was going to land.

Before her feet touched the ground, the angry Suigetsu launched a kick straight into the air. Not missing a single step Hinata swiftly shifted upside-down in the air and pushed herself off of the incoming leg. She flipped behind him and drilled a rough kick into the middle of his back. Suigetsu stumbled a few steps forward but not without rapidly yanking his sword from the ground. He whipped around proceeding to swing his sword but not without being blasted into the building behind him by Hinata's gentle palm.

Broken pieces of stone and wood fell to the dirty ground. The dust began to clear but Hinata did not waste time activating her Byakugan. She could see that Suigetsu was not buried in the wall. Flipping out a kunai from her pack Hinata hurled the kunai directly behind her. The sound of metal bouncing off of metal rang through the air. Hinata knew she would not be too succesful with her repertoire of weapons against Suigetsu's huge sword, but that didn't mean she couldn't get fancy with them.

"Hehehe like a little kunai…" Suigetsu stopped as he noticed a sizzling sound coming from in front of him.

He looked down to see that three paper bombs had been tied to the just blocked kunai. Not having the time to swiftly move with his weapon, Suigetsu dropped the sword and hurridly formed into liquid. Hinata gracefully back-flipped away from the good sized explosion. Debris flew off in several directions and Hinata even had to avoid a huge flying sword that was blown in her direction. The sword drilled into a nearby building and stayed nested in the wall.

Suigetsu had already reappeared away from the explosion. Reaching under his cloak he pulled out a black plastic water bottle and gulped the whole thing down. He tossed it aside in time to see Hinata positioned directly in front of him. Her arm was held behind her and she was slightly crouched.

"Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!"

Hinata then went throught the routine of strikes. Suigetsu smirked while he slowly stood stationary as each strike that touched him resulted in little splashes of liquid. He was instantly changing each point into water when Hinata touched them. Suigetsu knew there was no room to have some of his chakra points blocked. Hinata landed the last futile strike all the while knowing that she had not been successful with any hit. Instantly Suigetsu's arm grew in size ramming it into the face of Hinata. She fumbled a few yards back by the large force of the punch. Wiping the blood from her chin Hinata shifted into the Juuken position.

"I do have to say you're a quick little wimp," commented Suigetsu, "Guess it means I'll just have to have a little more fun with you."

That being said Suigetsu again reached under his cloak only this time he pulled out a scroll. Taking a quick bite of his thumb he unraveled the scroll sliding his bleeding finger across the paper. Suddenly a burst of smoke came from the scroll. Still with her Byakugan on Hinata could see that he had stored some kind of weapon in it. The smoke cleared to reveal that Suigetsu was now holding two hook bladed weapons.

"Since you probably won't give me enough time to get my sword out of the wall then I'll just settle for these then," he smirked, "It's a good thing I learned how to use them."

Suigetsu calmly raised the twin hooked blades into the air. Seemingly out of nowhere a ball of lightning began to form in between the two swords. A manical grin was on his face as he noticed the surprised look on Hinata's face.

"Raikyuu!!"

Suigetsu then hurled the large ball of lightning towards Hinata. Not having the ample time to plan out a tactic against this new weapon she quickly dodged the ball. It grinded into a wall spraying off little bolts in every which direction while it slowly began to disperse into the atmosphere. Hinata danced her way across the street avoiding the bolts. There were just too many for her to maneuver as one singed her left cheek leaving it to trickle a line of blood. She slowly wiped the blood from her cheek and examined the red on her hands. 'It wouldn't be good for me to get hit by lightning period' she thought to herself.

Meanwhile Suigetsu didn't waste a single second as he proceeded to charge her swinging his swords wildly. Breaking out of her tiny trance Hinata tried her best to anticipate his erratic swings easily dodging them. Suddenly Suigetsu burst into liquid and instantly reforming behind Hinata continuing his onslaught. Signs of electricty circulated over one of the blades which managed to land a slash into the back of Hinata. Feeling the sharp sting in her back Hinata quickly jumped away from Suigetsu only to have him reshape at her next destination. Quickly she launched her open palm forward releasing a large burst of chakra. The burst of chakra caused Suigetsu to dissolve into his liquid state.

Hinata stood still letting her Byakugan survey around her for the blood-thirsty killer. As she looked around she contemplated whether or not it had been a good idea to have taken him on alone. It's true that she would feel more accomplished if she beat him on her own but on the happenstance that she did not kill him then and it was the other way around Naruto would end up never forgiving Kiba and Shino for letting her fight alone. Furthermore, Naruto would not forgive himself for conceding to let Hinata come here in the first place.

She quickly washed away the doubts if her decision. Those thoughts would only lead to distraction on the battlefield. Her attention turned to Suigetsu who stood modestly on the roof of a small building overlooking the street. Again he had his swords raised in the air but only this time they were crossed. Electricity began to flow around the blades picking up more speed the longer Suigetsu concentrated.

"Rairyuudan no Misairu!!" he shouted jerking the swords forward towards Hinata's direction.

An enormous burst of lightning shaped in the form of a dragon shot out like a speeding bullet. Calm and collected, Hinata took a slight step forward as she prepared to focus her defense against the oncoming electric dragon.

"Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou," she said under her breath.

Emitting chakra from her palms, Hinata began moving her arms at high speeds through the air. In the matter of a second she had formed sharp, strong, and flexible lines of chakra completely around her body to protect herself. The lightning dragon finally clashed with the fine threads of chakra. Several sparks scattered as it tried to break through Hinata's tough defense. Focusing in the center of her absolute defense Hinata slowly expanded the chakra around her pushing the lightning away. Finally in a large flash of white the the lightning and chakra exploded.

Suigetsu stood motionless as he watch the explosion take down some nearby buildings. Suddenly out of the dissolving smoke came a tiny purple ball hurling towards Suigetsu. He took a few steps back to avoid the object only to witness it release a thick purple smoke on its impact. A stolid look came over Suigetsu's face while he stood in the middle of the smoke.

"Like a smoke bomb will be of any use," he dully said.

Staying stationary he easily dodged the several kicks and punches that broke through the smoke. Growing tired of the fogginess around him Suigetsu jammed his swords into the roof letting off a trail of lightning around him dispelling the smoke and hopefully getting Hinata. With the smoke gone he could see Hinata leap off of the roof and back onto the street. Just as he was feeling like she was backing down from him a surprised look sparkled in Suigetsu's eyes. He could distinctly feel a paper burning away on his back.

"You little bitch…" he muttered right before the paper bomb on his back exploded.

Droplets of water scattered every which way while the swords disappeared in a puff of smoke. Seeing where Suigetsu was going Hinata wasted no time to strike. Suigetsu reformed only to feel a few finger strikes into his left arm. Sensing his chakra points in his arm were now blocked he swiftly retreated away from Hinata. He then turned to face her with his now one usable arm. Before he could react Hinata instanstly dashed in front of him landing yet a few more strikes into his body blocking more of his points. Staggering backwards he quickly launched a kick upwards into Hinata's jaw causing her to reel back a little. Enlarging his arm Suigetsu rammed his usable arm into her stomach and then launched an elbow into her face followed by a kick to the side of her body. Hinata's bruised body slammed into the side of the wall causing her to drop down on one knee.

"Damn I wasn't expecting that I would have to take you seriously," he panted, "Mizu Bushin no Jutsu!"

Three blobs of water flowed off of Suigetsu forming three copies of himself. All three clones then charged straight at Hinata. The first slid on the ground kicking her up off the street followed by another one jamming an elbow into her back while in mid-air. A soft scream of pain passed her lips while her body fell to the street only to have another one grab her by the legs just as she neared the ground. Not letting go of her legs the copy slammed her onto the concrete street. Slowly all three clones stepped away from their work.

"Heh…I told you that you didn't stand a chance," he said while breathing heavily.

"Y-you're wrong…," spoke Hinata as she slowly lifted her battered body, "Even now you seem to underestimate me. I am stronger than you think and I know in my heart that I can beat you."

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed Suigetsu, "You are nothing but a weakling. A wimpy little weakling. In no such world would you be able to beat me. It's so funny that you think you're skilled enough. I'll just have rip those thoughts out of you!"

The three Mizu Bunshins again charged at Hinata. Standing firmly, with bruises on her cheeks and blood trailing the down the side of her face and mouth, she waited to make her move. The first one swung madly missing each attempted hit at her. Gracefully she circled around him blasting a gentle palm into his back making him disperse. The other two clones joined together in attacking Hinata only to have her easily avoid their hits and finally flipping over them to launch two simultaneous kicks into their backs. She was like an elegant dancer performing an intricate routine as she did away with the clones.

A frustrated Suigetsu stood watching the smooth Hinata rush towards him. Quickly he tried reaching under his cloak for another water bottle but was already too late. Right before she hurled a punch at him Hinata instantly dashed behind Suigetsu ramming a sharp knee into his back. Dashing back and forth she landed many blows into his back, stomach, and face. Suigetsu appeared to make no attempts to escape the body-shattering hits and it didn't stop until Hinata blew him away with burst of chakra from her palm.

"It looks like you didn't try to get out of those attacks or rather you couldn't," commented Hinata, "Are you too exhausted to continue?"

"Sc-screw you!" he hissed.

Again Suigetsu reached under his cloak to pull out another black water bottle. This time Hinata stood still watching with a little smile. Suigetsu attempted to gulp it down only to not have a single drop come out. Confused he tossed it aside and pulled out another bottle only to have the same thing happen. He went through a few more bottles all resulting in the same. Shocked and confused Suigetsu took a look back towards Hinata.

"W-hat the hell did you do!?" he yelled.

"I noticed earlier that you had drank down a water bottle so it gave me an idea that your body must be hydrated to allow yourself to form into a liquid state," Hinata explained, "So I decided to test it just to make sure. I waited until you decided to drink more water and when you finally attempted it I would do my best to not let you. Just right now after I prevented you from drinking you didn't escape my combinations of attacks proving the theory right."

"Then why are my bottles empty?" asked a flustered Suigetsu.

"During a few points in my series of attacks, I released a sharp thin thread of chakra at certain spots on your body where you could be holding water bottles putting a hole in each one and it looks to me I hit every single one of them," Hinata smiled with such great feelings of accomplishment, "I told you not to underestimate me."

Suigetsu frantically looked around him for any options through his predicament. A shiny sparkle reflected in the corner of his as he noticed his head cleaver sword a few yards away from him. A devious grin spread across his face from the sight of it. Quickly he took off towards the sword while a smiling Hinata didn't move a muscle. Suigetsu grabbed onto the hilt and lunged it onto his shoulder with all of his strength. He turned around and prepared to charge only to abruptly come to a halt. Standing next to Hinata was Hatake Kakashi.

"W-what?" he said surprised by Kakashi's presence.

"Oi Hinata-san," waved Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei why are you here?" she asked him.

"Oh I just came to tell you that we have taken back Hiraku from the enemy. As of right now the remaining sound shinobi have retreated," Kakashi paused as he glanced over at Suigetsu, "Hmm I see you were pretty busy eh Hinata-san."

"Yeah well it was nothing I couldn't handle," she giggled.

"Sounds like something Naruto would say," he said with a smile.

"Shit I should get out of here," Suigetsu whispered to himself, "I'll be sure to get her back for this."

Kakashi and Hinata looked back towards Suigetsu's direction to notice that he had disappeared. She let out a soft sigh of accomplishment. Hinata's confidence was brimming at how far she had come. Training with her beloved Naruto had really paid off. Now she was anticipating the next time she would fight. Next time she would truly go all out and show everything she had. In addition, she was excited to tell Naruto how good she had done. Still she stood there wondering if she should just go after Suigetsu for the way he slaughtered her comrades.

"Shouldn't we go after him? He hasn't gotten to far I'm sure," proclaimed Hinata, "After what he did here we can't just let him get away."

"You are right Hinata-san and we can catch him right now, but as of right now we need to focus on burying our fallen comrades and helping the injured even though he has done terrible things here. Don't worry he will pay for what he has done," spoke Kakashi, "Even more, Suigetsu will report to Sasuke of the sounds failure. It will show Sasuke that the leaf will stand strong against him."

"I understand what you mean," sighed Hinata, "But still maybe I should have killed him when I had the opportunity."

"It's alright this whole situation is new to you and you will grow through experience. War is a very complicated thing and even the best sometimes hesitate to do what must be done. But we learn that those kinds of people like Suigetsu can never be forgiven for what they have done. Suigetsu will get his in the end," commented Kakashi, "Hey how about we meet up with everyone else? We still have a lot of people here that need our help," commented Kakashi.

"Hai," she softly spoke, "Kiba and Shino are probably worried sick."

* * *

_hope you like this one and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I'm finished. thanks to everyone who has read this all the way to this point. Again review, review, review plz..._

_Kage Mane no Jutsu - Shadow Possession Technique  
Hiraishin no Jutsu - Flying Thunder God Technique  
Tsuuga - Piercing Fang  
Hakke Rokujuuyonshou - Eight Divination Signs, 64 palms  
Raikyuu - Lightning Ball  
Rairyuudan no Misairu - Lightning Dragon Projectile Missile  
Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou - Guardian Eight Divination Signs, 64 palms  
Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu - Water Clone Technique_


	12. Chapter 12: Familiar Faces

_here is the next chapter and I'm glad to say that I finally have something that belongs to me. This chapter will introduce three OCs that i made so they are 100 mine. hope you like these new characters._

_gomenasai - I'm sorry, gomen- sorry, So desu - I see_

* * *

Chapter 12: Familiar Faces

It appeared to be a peaceful day for the most part. Birds were chirping beautiful melodies. Deer lept over a single dirt road and across the grassy plains. Even the wind carried a serene overtone with it. The wildlife was met with three individuals traveling along the dirt road through the calm setting.

The young man on the right was a ripe age of nineteen. He had dark black hair which could flow down a little past his nose but was tied back into a knot. The man had bright green eyes like that of a healthy blade of grass. His large build was covered by a black long sleeve undershirt that was missing the right sleeve,a dark brown unzipped vest, and loose long dark brown shorts. The eighteen year old man,on the left looked to be a brute of a man with a similar build as the other, as well as the same eyes. He too had a black undershirt with a missing sleeve, on the left side, and also an open sleeveless brown tunic with brown pants that had small tears in a few spots as if it were made that way. His short brown hair was a little messy but it made it all the more appealing. Finally the man in the center stood out compared to his fellow travelers. He too was also a youthful looking eighteen year old with yellow eyes that could pierce into the deep recesses of someone's soul. His short dark brown hair was spiked up in a neat fashion. The clothes he fashioned were a black and white sleeveless jacket with a hood, a black shirt with a white spiral design on the front and loose black pants. He had a lean build and looked to have the most peaceful demeanor out of the three.

The three had been wandering around for some time now in silence. Most of their time was spent gazing at the wildlife or making a quick stop to have a snack. There was a mysterious aura about the three of them. It looked as if they had been to many places despite being such young people.

"Yo are we going anywhere specific or just going with the flow?" asked the one on the right.

"Hey don't ask me bro. How would I know?" the one on the left responded.

"I just figured you would know Kenta. You are always the one keeping track of our next destination. Hell I bet you don't even know where we are now?"

"Of course I do. We are…um…uh…we are…hm…SO!...You don't know where we're at either Koki," Kenta yapped back.

"Um Yasu where are we?" Koki softly asked.

"Oto no Kuni," he flatly responded.

"Oh ok…wait what did you just say!?" Koki blurted.

"You heard the man. He said Oto no Kuni," Kenta interjected, "You don't have a problem with that do you bro?"

"Um no of course not. I was just surprised that's all," he partly lied.

"It's alright if you're a little worried to be in a war zone. I would say I'm a little uneasy now that I too know where we are," commented Kenta, "Hey Yasu why would you let us wander into this land?"

"I don't know," he quickly responded.

"I don't know! What do you mean 'I don't know'!? You're the one that has been leading the way," said a slightly worried Kenta, "What if we get caught in a fight?"

"We won't," Yasu replied, "You two worry too much."

"I would be fine coming through here if there wasn't a war going on," Kenta continued on, "Let's just hurry and pass through Oto no Kuni."

"I agree with you bro," Koki added in.

"It'll be fine you two. What are you worried about anyways. You two are the Yuri brothers. Two of the most fearsome missing-nins of Iwagakure," exclaimed Yasu, "Besides it has only been two months since the start of their war and most of the action has seesawed on the border of Hi no Kuni."

"Still I don't like it here," stated Kenta.

"But bro a few miles back you said how beautiful and peaceful the place looked," Koki remarked.

"Yeah but that was before…," Kenta argued before being cut off.

"Will the both of you just stop with the complaining," Yasu calmly ordered, "We're here anyways so just let it go."

The two finally became silent. Yasu let out a gentle sigh of relief. This was the second time today that they had this same exact conversation. He could not believe they had already forgotten where they were yet again. At the same time Yasu knew that their uneasiness would lead them to be so forgetful. Even though he was able to hide it very well there was a little bit of a tense feeling in him.

"You know when I think about it you're from Konoha right Yasu," Koki asked.

"Yeah what of it," Yasu answered not wanting to talk about it.

"I was just wondering since you have a hint of loyalty with them that you would be fightning in the war against Oto no Kuni," Koki explained.

"I remember telling you before that any discussions of Konoha in relations to me or the subject of my past are off limits," Yasu flatly retorted, "Now let's just enjoy this wonderful walk and…"

Yasu had suddenly became quiet as he came to a halt. Slowly he kneeled down onto one knee and placed his hand onto the dirt path. The two brothers stared wondering what Yasu was doing as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A gentle breeze was sweeping across the grassy plains and through the several trees that lied ahead.

"Yo Yasu watcha doing?" spoke Koki

"Yeah you're acting all weird and stuff," Kenta further added in.

"Shhh I need to concentrate on the wind," he softly spoke, "Hmmm…six…no wait…seven. There are seven people moving in the woods up ahead."

"How do you know that?" Koki pondered out loud.

"Remember bro Yasu has the ability to use the wind to sense the presence of people," Kenta declared.

"Oh right I remember now," Koki said to himself, "So wait your saying there are people moving about in the woods? That doesn't sound bad."

"By the way they move I would have to say all of them are shinobi. Three of them feel like anbu," commented Yasu, "But they aren't heading in our…wait three of them just broke off towards our direction. We have to hide."

Quickly the three of them jumped off of the dirt trail and into the tall grass of the plains. In total silence they watched as three shinobi who appeared to be leaf-nin come dropping out of the woods. Slowly the leaf-nin made their way up the dirt trail in the opposite direction Yasu, Kenta, and Koki had just come from.

"Yo check out the mhmhmhm…," Kenta whispered before getting his mouth covered by Yasu's hand.

Yasu raised his index finger to tell Kenta to keep quiet. The three of them did not move a muscle as the three leaf-nin strolled on by them. After the leaf shinobi had walked off a very good and comfortable distance away, Yasu signaled to the other two to get up and hurry towards the woods. Reaching the edge of the woods everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

"Did you see that girl with the pink hair? She sure was a cutey," said Kenta.

"Of course we saw her. We're not blind Kenta…Hm but I wonder who she was," Koki trailed off into his own thoughts.

"Her name is Haruno Sakura. She is one of the sannin of Konoha," Yasu told them.

"Wow really! She is a sannin!?" Kenta excitingly said.

Yasu nodded his head, "She was trained by Tsunade-hime.Her beauty is not only matched by her incredible strength but also her top-notch skills as a medical ninja," Yasu praised her.

"You talk like you might know her Yasu?" Koki teasingly nudged him.

"No not personally. I only knew her from a distance during my time in Konoha," Yasu flatly replied, "Oh and just in case either of you asked the other two were Yuhi Kurenai and Hatake Kakashi."

"I didn't even pay attention to the other two," both of them commented in unison.

"Hmm then I guess you two recognized them if you didn't," Yasu softly said.

Not hearing them respond to his comment, Yasu slowly looked behind him towards the direction the three leaf-nin had gone. It was true he was only in Konoha for a brief time but he never forgot that face. During his time there he had always wanted to meet her the most out of everyone he saw, but could not do so. In fact he could not have any interaction with anybody. It was the number one rule of his master. Yasu came to a sudden stop the more he thought on it.

"You know what guys let's live a little. What would you two think about heading back the way we came?" he asked with a big smile.

* * *

_Earlier that day…_

"Thanks for coming so quickly," Naruto told his three guests.

"So what did you need us for Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura.

"Well I want you, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei to accompany a 4-man anbu squad into Oto no Kuni," he answered.

"What will we be doing?" Kurenai spoke.

"You three, along with the anbu squad, will get a lay of the land. The anbu squad has already been briefed and are waiting at the front gates. Also at some point you will split off into two teams to expand the surveillance," Naruto informed them, "This is strictly an observation mission so avoid any encounters as best as you can. If you do run into trouble then deal with it swiftly. We cannot have anyone know that we are in Oto no Kuni if we wanna strategize an attack."

"Then let's get going you two," Kakashi quickly said.

* * *

"I gotta be honest that parts of Oto no Kuni seem so peaceful. Especially this area," Sakura observed, "It makes you feel like there isn't even a war going on."

"This place is peaceful Sakura-san," agreed Kurenai, "It's unfortunate that it doesn't reflect in the people."

Kakashi, Kurenai, and Sakura had been walking along a lone dirt place for quite some time. It was obvious to see that them being out in the open may have not been the best of things. There were very few trees in the area that they were in unlike when they were in the woods but the grass was relatively tall enough if they had to hide. It was mid-afternoon and the three of them had covered a good amount of ground. Even though they had sent a few attacks into Oto no Kuni over the past month or so it was finally confirmed that most of its borders were pretty much uninhabited. By the looks of things it left an opening to plan out a large scale attack. At the moment however, the anbu squad had to go deeper into the land to be extra precautious.

"Hey you two we should probably stop for a bit," Kakashi suggested out of the blue.

"Um do we really need to Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura questioned.

"Hmm I would agree with Kakashi," Kurenai said stepping a few paces back.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura worriedly spoke seeing a serious look in Kakashi's eye, "I don't...,"

"You sense it now Sakura. We've been followed," Kakashi slowly turned around, "So you three can show yourselves!"

Out of the grass crept out three youthful shinobi. The two muscular brutes stood side-by-side with a reserved looking guy in a black and white jacket square in the middle of the two. The one in the middle had a relaxed smirk on his face while he stood so casually with his hands resting in the pockets of his pants.

"What took you so long? I'm sure you noticed us following you three for quite some time now," Yasu told them, "For a second there I thought I expected too much but thanks for changing that idea."

"I assumed that you would take first action," Kakashi responded, "Why are you following us. Are you associated with Otogakure?"

"We would never be associated with such disgraceful people," Yasu said suddenly from the opposite side he was standing.

The three leaf-nin quickly jerked their heads the other way to see that Yasu had instantly appeared on the other side of them. All of them had a very surprised look in their eyes to see someone move so quickly. They all could feel that this guy was extremely fast for them to have missed his movements. Taking a quick glance back towards the two brute-like men the three of them could see that they were sitting on the ground like they were enjoying an extravagant play.

"Don't look so surprised you guys," Yasu said as he instantaneous appeared right next to Kakashi, "I'm sure you've had run-ins with fast people before."

Again surprised, Kakashi swifly reached into his equipment pouch and pulled out a kunai. Before he could raise it up to Yasu's throat, he had speedily appeared behind Kakashi gripping onto the kunai wielded hand.

"Whoa there I'm not looking to pick I fight. I'm not your enemy," Yasu softly said.

"How can we even believe you?" Kakashi said before suddenly melting into the ground.

Standing very casually Yasu stared at Sakura and Kurenai while Kakashi appeared behind him attempting to strike. With a simple flip Yasu dodged the attack with ease. Yasu took a tiny step back while still staring at the three shinobi all the while smiling.

"That was some pretty decent genjutsu. You really aren't called a genjutsu specialist for nothing Kurenai-san," Yasu commended, "Look I could give you some proof if you don't believe me."

"Show us then," Kurenai firmly said.

Very slowly, to not cause distress to the others, Yasu reached under his jacket into a pack that was located on his back waist. A clear zipper sound came from under the jacket as he reached in to pull something out. Closing the pack he cautiously pulled his arm out revealing a black Konoha headband in his hand.

"Look see here I'm from Konoha," Yasu raised the headband up towards them.

"Do you think he's being truthful?" Kurenai quietly asked Kakashi.

"There is no way of being sure. He could have stolen the headband or killed a comrade for it," Kakashi whispered back.

"You know even though you're whispering the wind can still tell me what you're saying," Yasu flatly stated, "Trust me this is my headband. The only way I got this was from graduating from the academy."

Sakura slowly stepped forward before Kakashi or Kurenai could speak again, "I think I believe him. For some reason he looks vaguely familiar to me."

"Hmm if you feel like he is then I guess we can trust you for now," Kakashi said putting away his kunai, "But who are those other two guys with you? From the looks of it they are from Iwagakure."

"I'm Kenta," he jumped up.

"And I'm Koki," doing likewise.

"Also know as the destruction Yuri brothers!" they proudly shouted.

"Oh is that so," Kakashi mused.

"You've heard of them Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Together for no apparent reason these two missing-nin leveled out nearly half of Iwagakure in a single day. Shortly afterwards they were captured but were not imprisoned for too long as they made a very destructive escape," Kakashi enlightened them.

"Yo for your information Mr. Cool Man we had a very personal reason for doing what we did," Koki defiantly said.

Both the brothers took a step forward in anger. It looked like they would attack Kakashi for his plain comment but Yasu quickly stepped in front of the two to calm their nerves.

"He didn't mean anything by it you two. It's just the knowledge most others have been given so you can't blame him for not knowing what really happened," Yasu said with care.

"Gomen," they both softly sighed.

"I did not mean to offend you two," Kakashi added in.

"Don't sweat it," Yasu turned back towards Kakashi, "The information about Kenta and Koki is incomplete by the basis of a biased Iwagakure. What they neglect to tell people is that the reason behind their rampage was that their mother was executed for crimes that she did not commit. All to cover up a conspiracy Iwagakure commited."

"We were betrayed by our own village," Kenta sniffled.

"So desu, it seems Iwagakure is even corrupt with their own comrades at times," Kakashi said to himself, "But back to the things at hand. You still didn't tell us why you were following us."

"Oh please forgive me," Yasu said as he walked straight towards Sakura. Taking her hand he planted a soft kiss on it, "I just wanted to meet this beautiful lady."

Slightly shocked by Yasu's sudden proper affection, Sakura hurled a forceful punch towards his face. In a split second a gentle burst of chakra went off into the air showing that Yasu had stopped her punch with one simple finger. Sakura looked with surprise at how easily he stopped her strike. It was even more that it felt as if something had came to assist by dispelling the chakra into the wind. Yasu took a few steps back so she wouldn't be inclined to try and hit him again.

"Forgive me for being forward," Yasu bowed towards her in apology, "I promise I won't ever do that again."

"Humph," Sakura puffed not believing his promise.

"Well I guess we will be leaving now. I'm sure you three have a lot to do so we'll get out of your hair," Yasu said as he slowly strolled over to his two companions, " Oh but wait could you give us some help and point us in the direction of Hi no Kuni?"

"Actually we were going back into Hi no Kuni so you could come with us," Kurenai answered him, "Are you wanting to go to Konoha?"

"No," Yasu quickly snapped.

"Hey what's your problem? She was just asking you a simple question." Sakura yelled back at him.

"Gomenasai, it's just I have no intention of going back to Konoha. I haven't been there for ten years and I plan on keeping it that way…" he softly responded, "But we would be fine with having you three escort us towards Hi no Kuni."

"It's good that you could see me on such short notice," Sasuke said in a monotone voice.

"Well we are allies now so it is of no problem," a man in white and brown kage robes responded.

* * *

Sasuke and the Tsuchikage sat in front of each other around a small square table. There was a pot of tea that a servant lifted off the table to pour some for the both of them. Nodding his head thank you the Tsuchikage motioned for the servant to leave. By the looks of it the Tsuchikage appeared to be in his mid 30s. His straight brooding brown hair was short and there was a shadow of a beard on his face. He slowly sipped some of his tea while Sasuke made no movement for his cup.

"So I'm assuming your not here just to visit," the Tsuchikage asked.

"This is strictly a business call Tsuchikage," Sasuke flatly stated.

"Please call me Hedenori. There is no need for formalities anymore," he said taking another sip of tea, "Hm so please tell me what you have come here to discuss."

"I want to being preparations for a large scale attack on Sunagakure. So I'm going to want you and the Raikage to gather up an attack force to strike the village," Sasuke slowly presented his plans.

"Have you already discussed this with the Raikage?"

"I have and he has agreed to assemble a qualified enough group of his shinobi…All we would need is for you to supply some men as well to go along with his forces and the ones I will send," Sasuke explained to him.

"Then I guess I'm on board too," Hedenori replied finishing his cup of tea, "I will make the preparations right away…How long will we wait to attack them?"

"We shall give it about one month."

* * *

"It's getting kind of dark," Kakashi commented looking up at the darkening sky, "Looks like we won't make it to Konoha until tomorrow."

All six of the shinobi came to stopping point at a clearing in the forest to set up camp. Sakura and Kurenai gathered wood for a fire while Yasu, Kenta and Koki sat on the cold ground. Kakashi quickly lit the fire with some ninjutsu and laid out a tent for them to sleep in. After finishing up he slowly walked over to the three wandering ninja.

"I was just going to tell you guys that we have already crossed into Hi no Kuni," he told them, "So you three can leave if you want to. But your more than welcome to stay the night here with us. We have an extra tent."

"Thanks are your kindness and I think we will take the offer," Yasu slightly bowed his head, "We will be out of your hair in the morning."

Kakashi hand them the rolled up tent and went back to the fire to help Sakura and Kurenai prepare dinner. Yasu, Kenta and Koki swiftly set up the tent and sat back down on the ground in front of it. They stared at the three leaf shinobi chat away and laughing. It was a pleasant thing to see such happiness. As they watched on, Sakura turned towards them and waved at them to come over.

"You guys don't have to isolate yourselves," she smiled, "Come and eat with us. We prepared enough for all of us."

"Arigato," all three of them responded.

"I hope you don't mind if we finish up some business while you three are eating," commented Kakashi while going through his pack for something.

"It doesn't bother us," Kenta blurted out with a mouthful of cooked meat.

With that Kakashi pulled out a three tipped kunai from the pack. Noticing it in the corner of his eye, Yasu quickly dropped the almost finished meal he was having. He could not quite place his finger on it yet but the kunai looked very familiar to him. He looked on while Kakashi flipped it towards a tree stump that was right in front of the campfire. Then suddenly in a flash of yellow there stood a spikey blond-haired kid with azul eyes. In his hand was a cup of ramen and his mouth was stuffed with the warm noodles.

"Whacht's up?" Naruto asked with his mouthful of noodles.

"Since we got into Hi no Kuni a lot later than we expected, I decided to just call you now and report in," Kakashi responded.

Finishing the rest of his noodles Naruto placed the empty cup on the tree stump, "How'd it go?"

"By the looks it will be pretty simple to bring a large force across the border. The large portions of the population are farther into Oto no Kuni," Kakashi reported.

"Sounds good but…," Naruto paused noticing three unfamiliar people, "Um…who are these guys?"

"Oh these three are Yasu, Kenta, and Koki. Yasu is actually from Konoha and the other two are missing-nin from Iwagakure," Kakashi kindly introduced them.

Kenta and Koki happily stood up and bowed to Naruto in respective grettings while Yasu stood motionless. Naruto stepped over to introduce himself to Yasu who had not responded since Naruto's arrival.

"Hello my name is…"

"Naruto…" Yasu cut in.

"Um yeah…so you know who I am?" Naruto asked with a small smile on his face.

Yasu stared straight at him with a cold and saddened look in his eyes, "Why did it have to be you that he summoned?"

* * *

_hope you liked the chapter and plz R&R. As you can tell there is something between Yasu and Naruto so you will have to wait and see what it is._


	13. Chapter 13: One Man's Past

_finally got this one done. sorry for the wait. I had re-done this chapter about 3 or 4 times trying to get it right. Hopefully I made it good enough so please enjoy._

_teme - bastard, -okasan - honorific for mother, wakatta - understood, ohayou - good morning, nanika - what is it?, Omedetou - congradulations, nani - what, sabishii - I missed you, kozou - kid, yakusoku - I promise_

* * *

Chapter 13: One Man's Past

Everyone stared on in silence at the confused Naruto and the gloomy Yasu. Yasu stood there with an ever growing mournful look in his eye. 'Why did this guy say something so weird? Does he know me from somewhere?' Naruto thought to himself. Naruto had never seen this person before in his life so why would this situation make him begin to feel awkward.

"Um…What are you talking about? Do you have a problem with me or something?" Naruto asked trying to not sound like he was uncomfortable.

"It's just…" Yasu's gaze moved down then towards everyone else, "Kenta…Koki…We should be leaving."

"Okay Yasu," both of them replied.

Yasu motioned towards Kenta and Koki for them to head out. They quickly gathered their things and bowed their goodbyes to everyone. The rest of them sat still looking at the three wandering shinobi and back towards Naruto who was still standing in the same spot. Slowly an angered look came across his face. He was not going to let someone say something just out of the blue and not leave without giving an explanation. The three had only took a few steps from the fire when Naruto dashed in front of Yasu.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? I asked you a question?" Naruto raised his voice.

"You have the same spark in your eyes as your mother did," Yasu unknowingly blurted out.

Surprised by him speaking out what he was thinking Yasu placed his hand over his mouth to be sure he wouldn't just blurt anything else out. He looked straight at Naruto to notice that again there was a sudden change in his mood. That little uninhibited remark sent Naruto's mind on a tailspin. Everyone elses reaction was one of shock. This guy actually made a comment like he has familiar with Naruto's mother. Naruto slowly took a few steps towards Yasu and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"You talk like you know my mother. Explain!" he growled.

"Why should I?" Yasu coldly responded.

"Because I'm thinking you might know the whereabouts of my mother?! TELL ME!" Naruto screamed.

"So what if I do!?" Yasu pushed Naruto off of him, "What makes you think I would want to talk about it or even more want you to hear the truth?"

"Tell me teme!" Naruto howled as he threw a punch towards Yasu's face.

Naruto's fist popped into his face leaving a rough bruise on his cheek but still Yasu stood there somberly. Yasu's gaze shifted towards the ground now and he seemed to be shivering. The next thing that happened shocked Naruto even more. Droplets fell from Yasu's face onto the cold ground. Slowly raising his head up Naruto could see that the stranger's yellow eyes were full of tears.

"I swore to myself that I wouldn't cry about this ever again," Yasu sobbed, "On top of that I wasn't even man enough to face you and yet here you are."

Slowly he made his way over to the tree stump where Naruto first appeared an sat down on it. Everyone watched on as Naruto slowly walked to sit next to the fire which was directly in front of the tree stump. Even Yasu's two companions made their way back to the fire interested by the fact that they had never seen Yasu like this before.

"So what do you mean that you weren't man enough to face me?" Naruto said in a calm voice, "You were planning on telling me something about my mother?"

"Hai," he responded wiping tears off of his cheek, "I've been planning on telling you about her for six years now. I've just never had the courage to do so. Even now I don't but I also wasn't expecting to have you be summoned here…It can't be helped I guess."

"Where is my mother? What happened to her?" Naruto softly spoke.

"Well…she…she…," Yasu stumbled trying to gather his composure as best he could, "She…passed away six years ago."

It was like receiving a knife into his heart. Uncontrollably tears swelled up in Naruto's cerulean eyes and crept down his soft whisker cheeks. For years he had never known what became of his mother. In fact no one knew what happened to her. Jiraiya had told him that she had left the village shortly after his father's death but it was kept a secret as to where she went. Now he finally knew that she was dead but still he wanted to know everything that Yasu did.

"Could you please tell me everything?" Naruto politely asked.

"I've never been one to talk of my past or much else. It always hurt to just think about it," Yasu commented, "But you deserve to know everything more than anyone. I've just been such a coward that I never seeked you out to tell you. Well I should probably start from the very beginning."

Even though Yasu and Naruto knew everyone else was listening in they found no harm in it. Yasu knew it was a better time than anytime. His past was in fact tied in with Naruto's through a single special person.

"Just like your mother, Kushina Uzumaki, I too had ties to the Whirlpool country. I was born a few months before you to a mother who had fled the former country with Kushina. My biological mother died giving birth to me right in the Konoha hospital. She had been good friends with your mother so a pregnant Kushina took me into her care as a promise to her dying friend," Yasu narrated, "A few months later the Kyuubi attack occurred resulting in your father's sacrifice and the sealing of the Kyuubi inside you. Before Minato had gone to fight the Kyuubi he had the Sandaime Hokage promise to watch over you and have the village see you as its hero."

"That last part ended up not happening," Naruto whispered to himself.

"But Minato had also asked something else of Kushina. Shortly before your birth Naruto, Kushina had fallen ill to a strange heart disease that would cause it to become weaker and weaker overtime eventually resulting in her death. She also would not have the strength that she use to as well. The medical ninja could find no cure for it but had heard of a special herb that could sustain her life for a certain time and ease the pain. So by Minato's request Kushina left to live in a peaceful and isolated cottage on the eastern coast of Hi no Kuni, the only place where the herbs would grew. The reason for the request was that the herbs wilted within a few hours once they were picked and Kushina needed to have them frequently," Yasu paused to take a deep breath, "Since I was just a few months old and she had made a promise, Kushina took me along with her."

"So why couldn't my mother take me as well?" asked Naruto.

"She wanted to take you but she and Minato had both agreed that you needed to grow up in Konoha as the symbol of their survival. They wanted you to have the opportunity to become a leaf shinobi and be the epitome of a hero. It would have hurt them to not see their boy become as great as either of them had ever been," everyone moved in closer as Yasu cleared his throat, "So now that leads us into my story…"_

* * *

Ten years ago…_

_It was a lovely morning for the two-story brown cottage sitting near a tiny beach and vast forest. The waves splashed gently along the soft sand as the tide settled in. Several yards to the north rested a cliff over-looking the beautiful clear water._

"_Wake up sleepy head or you won't have enough time to get ready," a woman shouted from downstairs._

_Snuggled deep in dark blue sheets was an eight-year-old kid with a head full of messy dark brown hair. His body twitched at the sound of the woman's voice and the little boy knew if he didn't get up right know she would come bursting into the room causing a fuss. Slowly he raised his eye lids open revealing his tender yellow eyes. He looked around the room basking in the sunlight that gazed through the window. It was a nice and simple room with a twin-sized bed, clothes dresser and a small nightstand. Lazily he rolled over and flopped down onto the carpeted floor making a soft thud to make the woman aware that he was out of bed. He looked at the top of the nightstand to see two framed pictures. One was of him and a beautiful red-haired woman and the other was of that same red-haired woman cradling a newborn child with whisker marks on his cheeks._

_He made his way over to the clothes dresser and pulled out a solid white shortsleeve shirt with the yin and yang symbol on the back and a pair of brown shorts. It was simple attire for the day but most of his other stuff had already been packed and left downstairs. Today was going to be his first day at the Konoha Ninja Academy. Even though he was eager to become a full-fledged ninja he did not want to leave the comforts of his home._

_After getting dressed, the boy quickly made his way downstairs and straight into the kitchen where a red-haired woman was busy cooking a delicious smelling breakfest. She was a very beautiful woman wearing a homely brown dress with a green apron. Her long silky red hair flowed down to her waist and she had the warmest brown eyes anyone had ever seen. The little boy latched onto the woman's apron and gave her the biggest hug he could muster._

"_Well hey there my little sleepy head," she rubbed her hand through his hair, "Looks like someone is being very loving today…Now sit down at the table so you can eat your breakfest."_

_Joyfully he did as he was told hopping over to the brown kitchen table and sitting down. Shortly afterwords the woman placed a plate filled with freshly scrambled eggs, toast, and fried ham. The little boy picked up his fork and began to chow down._

"_Hey slow down Yasu," she commanded, "You don't want to have a stomach ache on your first day."_

"_Gomen Kushina-okasan," he spoke after swallowing down the food in his overfilled mouth._

_A few minutes passed by when a soft knock came at the front door. Kushina had just finished cleaning up the dishes and made her way over to the door to answer it. Yasu quickly gobbled down the rest of his food to see who it was that was coming to take him to Konoha. Yasu slowly walked out of the kitchen to see Kushina speaking with an elderly man in red and white robes and a big hat that had the kanji for fire on it._

"_Oh here he is," Kushina motioned to Yasu._

_The man smoothly strolled over to him and kneeled down to be at his eye level. Yasu stared at him with somewhat of a mean look. He never really did like strangers, but the old man had such calm eyes like he had never seen before._

"_Hello there," he greeted with a big smile, "I am the Hokage of Konoha and I'm going to be taking you to Konoha today."_

"_Hmm," Yasu grunted as he ran over to stand by Kushina._

"_Forgive him Sarutobi-sama. He is a little shy with new people," she commented._

"_It is absolutely fine Kushina-hime. He is going to have a very eventful day," smiled the Hokage, "But don't worry Yasu-san everything will be alright."_

_The Hokage walked over towards the mantle above the fireplace. Like Yasu's room there were pictures of Kushina with and Yasu and a newborn baby, as well as a picture of her with a man wearing a white jacket with red flames. For a moment the Hokage picked up the framed picture taking a deep sigh._

"_Minato was a very gifted shinobi. It feels like it was only yesterday that he was the Hokage of the village," he commented._

"_So…how is he?" Kushina asked as she placed Yasu's bags next to the front door._

_The Hokage placed the picture back down on the mantle, "Naruto will also have his first day at the academy. It has been pretty hard for him in the village. The people only see him as a demon and I've tried my best to change that."_

"_Sarutobi-sama I really want to go back to Konoha. I don't want to live with the fact that Naruto is being viewed as something destuctive and evil. He doesn't deserve it," Kushina sadly spoke._

"_You and I both know that you would not have enough strength to make it to Konoha. You would…,"_

"_I know…You don't have to say it out loud," she looked towards Yasu who just stood there listening to the conversation, "I don't want Yasu to have to hear those words."_

"_Wakatta…well I guess me and the boy should be heading to Konoha. We don't want him to be late on his first day."_

"_Yeah we wouldn't want that now would we Yasu," she said to the little boy._

_The Hokage went to the front door and picked up Yasu's bags and took a step outside so Yasu could say his goodbyes. Kushina just barely kneeled down when Yasu jumped into her arms giving her a huge hug. This would be the first time he would be away from her. He would have to stay in Konoha until he achieved the rank of genin._

"_Kushina-okasan I kinda don't want to go. Why can't I stay and have you still teach me stuff?" he sobbed._

"_Well my sweet boy you know my strength is running low. I've trained you for a good three years and while you're away I'm going to rest up for when you get back," she told him, "I have two very important rules that you must follow one hundred percent or you will get it when you get back."_

"_Hai," Yasu firmly nodded, "What are they?"_

"_The first is that I want you to graduate in only one year. The second will be the hardest one for you but this rule you must never break. You cannot have no interaction with your students or anyone for that matter. You have to be a ghost during your stay in Konoha."_

"_Why?!" an extremely confused Yasu asked._

"_You will have to learn to understand that yourself," Kushina kissed him on the forehead, "You be a good boy and make me proud."_

"_I will," Yasu smiled._

_Kushina watched as Yasu made his way out the door. He looked back waving goodbye to the person who had taken such good care of him. It would be a good while before he saw Kushina again but he swore to himself that he would not let her down. There was no room to slack off now. He would be the best he could be._

_Kushina stood in the door while Yasu, who was holding his head up proudly, and the Third took off towards Konoha. It saddened her to see him go but she wasn't much of one to show it, this time however was different. It was like having to say goodbye to another son. It was hard enough knowing that Naruto was experiencing such loneliness. Feeling such thoughts Kushina started to feel dizzy. Gingerly she closed the door and made her way upstairs._

_Once she reached her room she picked up a small cup with freshly brewed tea. Mixed into it were the herbs that she had to constantly take throughout the day to give her some feelings of strength. Sipping it down she wondered how much longer she had before the heart disease got the best of her. It was only a matter of time but she had to fight it for as long as she could. There were still a few things she needed to do before she died.  
_

_

* * *

It was a pretty festive classroom that Yasu walked into. There were several kids talking loudly back and forth to each other. One kid was playing with his dog while another one with sunglasses was staring at a bug crawling on his finger. There were some unique looking kids in the classroom and it only made Yasu feel more out of place. Making sure that nobody noticed him walk by he made his way to the back of the classroom and sat down. A few more minutes passed by when a man with a scar across his nose came into the classroom causing the other children to quickly go to their seats._

"_Ohayou everyone," the man greeted them cheerfully, "My name is Umino Iruka and welcome to the Ninja Academy…Okay so I'm going to start off by calling role so just say here or raise your hand when I call your name."_

_As the man went down the li__st calling out names Yasu paid no attention and began looking around again at all the kids in the class. It wasn't too big of a group of children probably about no more than twenty-five. His eyes bounced from kid to kid recoginizing certain traits in each of them. He had studied a lot with Kushina about the different clans in Konoha and could see some that fit the descriptions. The two he had noticed earlier were apparantly from the Inuzuka clan who had dog companions as fighting partners and the Aburame clan who used bugs. He saw a girl with white eyes meaning she was a Hyuuga. There was another kid in black who had the symbol of the Uchiha clan on his shirt. Despite feeling so out of place he felt a little more comfort at being familiar with the some of the clans there in Konoha._

_Yasu's gaze was suddenly attracted to a girl with a head of bright pink hair. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She was dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt with a yellow long sleeve shirt under it and light purple high-water pants. Looking at her though Yasu could notice that she looked very sad. Most of her face was covered by her hair and her bright green eyes showed signs of sorrow._

"_Yasu!" Iruka spoke louder like he had been repeating himself for awhile._

_Yasu quickly snapped out of his day dream and shot his hand up indicating that he was here. Noticing the hand Iruka checked off his name and proceeded with the role-call._

"_And finally Uzumaki Naruto…"_

"_Here," a boy softly spoke._

_Noticing the familiar name Yasu stared across the aisle to see a very somber looking boy with spikey blond hair. Right away Yasu recognized the whisker marks on his cheeks like that of the baby in the picture with Kushina. This kid must be the one Kushina had told him so much about. It was the son that she had to leave behind. Observing his demeanor Yasu just could not help feeling how alone he was. It pained him knowing that he would have to do the same thing here but it was even worse knowing that Naruto's pain was far greater than his own. Yasu knew he had no right to ponder about how sad he would feel. He was insignificant to what Naruto must be going through. The only thing Yasu wished he could do right now was befriend Naruto but then it would mean breaking one of Kushina's rule. Why did things have to be like this? Why did Naruto have to suffer so much?  
_

* * *

"_You called for me Hokage-sama," Iruka said stepping into the Hokage's office._

"_Yes I did Iruka," the Hokage waved him in, "Come tell me how your class has been going for the past month."_

"_It has been well for the most part. There are a lot of gifted children in this bunch and I wouldn't doubt that we will have some elites from this group," Iruka happily said, "The ones that have really shown skill have been Uchiha Sasuke and the quiet one of the class Yasu."_

"_And how has Naruto been doing?" the Hokage softly asked._

"_Well he is turning into quite a prankster. He has low concentration and is always trying to be the class clown. So far he has been ranked last in the class…but," Iruka paused for a moment, "I can see such a huge heart in him."_

"_I can recall someone else being such a prankster in his days," the Hokage chuckled._

"_Yeah…If only he wasn't treated so bad by the village. I feel like I could really help him," he sadly sighed._

"_By the way you sound it looks that you're growing fond of the boy…That is good to hear that someone doesn't detest him."_

"_Hmm."_

"_So before you head to class I needed to ask something about your student Yasu?" the hokage suddenly brought up._

"_Nanika?"_

"_From what you have seen so far do you think the boy will be able to graduate within a year," he spoke._

_A little confused by the question Iruka thought for a moment, "He does have a surprisingly extensive knowledge of the country, foreign countries, and the ways of the shinobi as well as many other things. He even appears to already be decently skilled in the basic ninjutsu required to pass the test so I would say that it is a very definite chance that he could graduate then," Iruka stopped for a moment, "Why do you specifically ask about Naruto and Yasu though Hokage-sama?"_

"_I made a promise to watch over them," the hokage vaguely answered.  
_

_

* * *

It was a calm and somber afternoon. Class was finally over bringing an always joyous overflow of children rushing out to play the rest of the afternoons away. Everyday Yasu would take a walk over to the little training ground that was part of the academy. This time was his special alone time in fact all the time was his __alone time. He could not make any friends if he was suppose to follow Kushina's rules. On an honest note he did not mind it too much. There was a few times where he wished he had a friend but maybe it was for the best that he didn't. He would be leaving the village once he became a genin and attachments with people would only sadden him._

_Once inside the humble training ground Yasu squared himself up and took a deep concentrated breath. Slowly and a little discretely a stream of ripples seemed to flow through the air and around his body. It was as if Yasu was releasing something through the gentle breeze that was blowing through the place. Reaching ever so slightly into a tiny pouch on his side Yasu pulled out three shurikens situationed in between his fingers. Still staying focused he hurled the shurikens in front of him. As the shurikens raced forward the ripples around Yasu suddenly came to a stop. Then with a swift raise of his arm a burst of chakra filled wind rushed out diverting the shurikens out of their initial direction and straight into the ground._

"_Wow that was really cool. How did you do that?" came a voice from behind._

_Startled by the foreign intrusion Yasu jumped clear from the ground and fell flat on his bottom. The person giggled at his reaction and right away from it Yasu could tell that it was a girl. He quickly jumped up and dusted his shorts off. A tiny tint of red was on his cheeks as he looked up to see a girl with pink hair and a red ribbon tied in it._

"_I'm sorry I scared you," she giggled again._

"_Um it's ok," Yasu quietly responded._

"_So what was that you just did?" she asked._

"_I was practicing my chakra control," he quickly answered still somewhat embarrassed._

"_But that looked really weird. It was like you used the wind and stuff."_

"_Uh well what I did was concentrate on the flow of the wind and harmonize it with my chakra. Once I had done that I can shape the wind flow and chakra together releasing a controlled amount of it out. So I used that to knock down my shurikens," Yasu happily explained, "I've always been able to feel the air and wind around me like I could see it."_

"_You explain things very well for being eight," she commented, "Oh by the way my name is Haruno Sakura."_

_She raised her hand out towards Yasu. Slowly he began to raise his to shake it in greeting only to stop a few inches away from it. For that moment he had completely forgotten what he had been told. So apprehensively he pulled his hand back to his side causing Sakura to look at him a little confused by his reaction._

"_Please forgive me," Yasu spoke just before quickly walking away from her._

_No matter how badly he would have liked to introduce himself, there was no way he could break the rule. As he rushed away a feeling of sadness came over him. It was hard enough trying to isolate yourself from everyone and even worse not being able to meet people._

_Wanting to get the feeling out of him, Yasu decided to go for a walk through the village. Slowly but surely the feeling flooded out of him as he strolled from place to place. Finally Yasu came along a walkway that ran next to a gentle river. It was a serene sight to behold. The setting sun reflected rays of orange and pink along the horizon and river creating a gorgeous portrait._

_Making his way up the path Yasu came to a point where a single pier reached out into the river. Sitting at the pier's edge appeared to be a raven haired boy dressed in black. Yasu stopped to stare down at what he knew was Uchiha Sasuke. It had just been a few days that his whole clan had just been massacred, by his own brother nonetheless. To Yasu it was yet another person left all alone in the world. Sasuke did not budge a muscle or take a glance back as Yasu stood there staring at him from the road._

_Standing there Yasu noticed the arrival of another person coming from the opposite direction. Quickly noticing that Naruto was walking towards his direction but was staring down at Sasuke, he wasted no time and ran off in the direction he came from. He did not want Naruto to ever notice him. Sometimes things are better off left alone.  
_

_

* * *

Today is the day. It's been one year already and the time has finally come. No more of the take-out food and one room apartment. Today was Yasu's graduation day. He quietly stepped into the Sandaime's office. Softly he shut the door behind him and stood still in front of his desk. The Hokage finished filling out some papers before giving his attention to Yasu._

"_Omedetou Yasu," smiled the elderly Hokage._

"_Arigato," he sighed under his breath._

"_All the examiners felt that you were very knowledgeable in the ways of the shinobi and the required jutsus were performed very well. So from her on out you are now a genin of Konoha."_

_Yasu was very silent while the Hokage handed him his headband. For a moment he admired it feeling like he was a real shinobi now. At the same time however Yasu felt that he had accomplished nothing during all this time._

"_Is everything alright Yasu?" the Hokage concerningly asked._

"_I'm fine," he half-heartedly said, "Do you know when I'll be going back home?"_

"_I shall take you back to Kushina-hime tomorrow morning but in the meantime you should pack your things and get a good night sleep," he suggested._

"_Hmm," Yasu sadly nodded his head before walking towards the door._

"_Yasu-san," the Hokage spoke ou__t just as Yasu's hand was placed on the doorknob._

"_Nani?"_

"_It's been pretty hard hasn't it…Not being allowed to gain any friendships here," he said noticing that was what was on Yasu's mind, "Do you understand why she had you follow that rule."_

"_I think I do. It took me until today to kinda figure it out," Yasu paused for a moment to to gather his thoughts into a cohesive conclusion, "It was to make sure that my stay here was left unnoticed."_

"_You don't think it was something more? Could it be she wanted you to learn something from the experience?" the Hokage inquired._

"_I do…I think it was to have me realize how important it is to have someone to care for. To have a friend that will always be there for you. That having bonds with people is what truly makes you strong…and…to care for my fellow companions," Yasu firmly spoke, "I think it was also a test to teach me that sometimes certain rules are meant to be broken but I guess I failed."_

"_I think she will be very happen at how you've grown here in Konoha," he said with a big smile.  
_

_

* * *

A heave of happiness breathed out of the little lips of Yasu. Finally he was back home where he felt the most at ease. He stood there with his bags as he joyfully admired the house he had spent so much time away from. He could not wait to have Kushina greet him with open arms._

_Not before taking a few steps to the front door did Yasu notice the door fling open and a kunai hurling towards his direction. Acting quickly he side-stepped the sharp metal object only to see a swift kick going towards his face. Reaching up he latched onto the leg and flipped over it. Taking a few steps back he wondered if someone had broken into the house. He became very worried as he looked up at the possible assailant. Just at the moment he prepared to strike Yasu recogized his attacker who held a jubilant grin on her face._

"_Kushina-okasan!!" he leaped towards her in excitement._

"_Umph," she grunted as he jumped into her arms, "I'm glad to see you too little Yasu."_

"_Sabishii," he softly spoke._

"_I did too," a smile still on her face._

_Yasu let go of her, "But why did you attack me like that?"_

"_Well of course I gotta make sure that they taught you well and that you stay sharp," she patted him on the head, "Now let me take your bags in while you stay out here. I have something for you."_

_For a moment an excited smile grew on his lips but suddenly receded when he noticed how frazzled Kushina looked. Sweat was beading down her face a little abnormally and she seemed to be taking deep slightly gasping breaths. There was even color missing from her face. He could tell that she was not feeling her best but was trying to hide it._

"_It's fine okasan you can show me what you got for me inside…You look very tired so you should rest for awhile," he said with such high concern._

"_Not today kozou," she said very firmly, "Today I'm going to teach you a special technique that shinobi of the Whirlpool Country use to learn. We should keep the tradition going now that our country is gone."_

"_B-but," he stuttered before Kushina raised a stiff hand up._

"_I've already made up my mind. I'm going to teach you this starting today. So I don't want to hear any 'buts' about it," she powerfully remarked, "Now when I get back be prepared to go through some very rigorous training."_

_Yasu stood there solemnly as Kushina slowly took his bags inside. This lady was something else. She had always been something else. Despite her being very ill she would just push it aside and fight through. There was such determination in her soul that Yasu wondered how she had held on to it after everything she had been through. It amazed him even more that he sensed a lot of that in Naruto during his stay in Konoha. Of course there was an aura of depression and loneliness around him the kid always managed to keep it down and push on. Yasu felt that Naruto would be even more skilled than Kushina and she was a feisty and fierce fighter. He only hoped that Konoha will realize what greatness was held in that blond-haired kid.  
_

_

* * *

The black night __began to fill the sky as a thirteen-year-old Yasu made his way back to the house. He had gone out earlier to gather the medicinal herbs that Kushina needed for her heart disease. Lately the herbs had been doing real good for her. She was more up-and-about than usual. There was more energy to her and even more color had returned to her face. After spending so many years with her had Yasu not seen her look so healthy. Indeed it was very heartwarming to him._

_Not bothering to go to the front door Yasu flung himself through the open kitchen window and onto the wooden floor. Noticing that Kushina was sitting at the table doing something he began to make some tea with the herbs for her. Yasu waited for the tea kettle to spew stem from the nozzle and then quickly placed it onto a tray with a tiny brown cup on it. Making his way over to Kushina he placed the tray in front of her and poured her a cup of tea. Finally able to rest he sat down at the table directly across from her seat to realize that she had been reading some sort of letter. There was a faint but distinct smile on her face._

"_Okasan what is that?" Yasu asked quite interested._

"_It's a letter from the Hokage indicating that Naruto will be taking his test to become a genin tomorrow," she answered not looking up from the letter._

"_That sounds wonderful," he happily blurted, "I'm sure he will pass it with ease."_

_For a moment Kushina was quiet while she placed the letter on the kitchen table. With a sincere smile on her face she took a sip of her tea, "You know what kiddo I've got an idea."_

"_What is it?" he asked compelled by the happy aura growing around her._

"_What would you think if we headed off to Konoha tomorrow to see Naruto graduate from the Ninja Academy?"_

_A spark lit in Yasu's yellow eyes at the suggestion, "Really!? I think that would be a great idea. I'm sure Naruto would be excited to know that his mother is alive and has come to see him…but are you sure you feel well enough to make the trip?"_

"_I've never felt better kiddo. In fact this is the best I've felt in a long time," she said finishing up her tea, "Besides you're coming too so it will be even easier for me to travel to Konoha."_

"_So we leave early in the morning then?" he asked._

"_Hai! So be ready," she spoke rising up from the table, "I'm going to go to bed right now so clean up and get some good rest. We will be having a very good day tomorrow._

_Kushina walked to Yasu placing a kiss on his head and bidding him goodnight. Quickly Yasu cleaned up the kitchen so he could make his way to bed. Similar to his younger days he joyfully hopped into his cozy bed and burrowed into his sheets. Then in no time Yasu fell fast asleep._

…………………………

_Hints of morning light shined on the dark brown haired boy. His eyes quickly shot open at the first sight of light. Such excitement was held in his piercing yellow eyes. There wasn't any time to waste if he wanted to get to Konoha sooner. Yasu leaped out of bed and quickly threw on some pants and a shirt. After making his way down the stairs Yasu could see that he was the first one to get up. So very patiently he waited for awhile for Kushina to come down. He swore she said they would be leaving very early so he had already expected her to be downstairs. It was an exciting day afterall. She would finally be able to see her son that she had to leave behind so long ago._

_The minutes tolled away while Yasu waited in the livingroom for Kushina. More sunlight started to filter through the windows. He only figured she had slept in a little late so eventualy Yasu went back up the stairs to go wake her up. Quietly he walked up the hall past his room and came to a stop at Kushina's door. Calmly he tapped on it to ease her awake. He didn't want to start the day with a pounding from her for waking her up so loudly. However there was no response from the inside of the room after all the tapping._

_Not wanting to wait any longer Yasu decided to go in. He slowly and silently cracked the door open and walked inside. The room was slightly darker than the rest of the house. The curtains were closed over the single window that peered across the room. Stepping up to the curtains Yasu pulled them open to let the light in._

"_Wake up okasan," he spoke while walking towards the bed, "We don't wanna be late do we?"_

_There was still no response._

"_Kushina-okasan wake up," Yasu raised his voice a little._

_Again there was no kind of response from her. Finally Yasu leaned over the bed and tapped Kushina on the shoulder. She can be a heavy sleeper sometimes._

"_Come on sleepy," he said as he softly nudged her side a few times._

_Despite all of his attempts to wake her, Kushina had not moved a muscle or indicated a sign of getting up. The dead silent room was filling with worry as Yasu continuously tried to awaken her. Slowly Yasu placed his hand on her stolid face only to feel how cold it was. Feeling the coldness caused Yasu to have a grave stricken look shroud his face. Very hesitantly he reached down and put two fingers on her wrist. His body began to tremble as his mind processed what was laid before him. Tears began to slide down his face as he realized why Kushina would not wake up. She was gone…_

…………………………

_Yasu patted down the mound of dirt with the shovel after he had finished burying the only person who had ever cared for him. Yasu was all alone now. He stood there still in a state of complete and utter shock. Today was going to be such a special day for her and now she would never get to see her son now. Why did it have to be her time now? It was completely unfair._

_Rain began to pitter-patter down onto the earth. Not caring that he was getting drenched from the increasingly pouring rain Yasu kneeled down and ran his hand through the now muddy grave he made for Kushina. What would he do now that he was all alone?Only one thing drilled into his mind while he kneeled there in the somber rainfall. He felt that Naruto deserved to hear about this horrible news. He needed to know everything. Still Yasu could not help but feel like a coward. How could he tell someone who has been alone their whole life that their mother had still been around but was now dead? Yasu knew he wasn't man enough to face Naruto and wondered if he would ever even be able to._

_In anger he hurled the shovel to the side bouncing it off the house and hearing it make a watery thud as it slapped onto the wet ground. Slowly getting up Yasu knew he could no longer stay there. Placing his hand on the cross he had made Yasu bid goodbye to the only parent he had ever had. The only person he ever cared about. Now there was only one thing left to do but Yasu did not have the courage. The one thing he could think of was to pack a few things and leave. It did not matter where he went just as long as he didn't have to feel the pain. It wasn't safe for a thirteen-year-old kid to have to wander aimlessly through the world; however, it was all Yasu could think of to do. There was no longer anything here for him. Just a lonely boy with no where to go.  
_

* * *

"_It's been two years already," a fifteen-year-old Yasu mumbled to himself._

_The past two years had seemed like an eternity. Yasu had spent most of his time wandering from country to country and town to town. Many times Yasu had resorted to thievery to get food so that he could survive or to get money so he could pay for a place to stay. He did not feel proud about it one bit but he also did not ever hurt anyone in the process. In fact Yasu was disgusted with himself but he felt he had no other choice. It was the only way he could think of to survive all by himself._

_After wandering around for so long Yasu had stumbled into Tsuchi no Kuni for the first time. It was quite a hike for him. The land was filled with steep mountains and hilly forests. Even worse it had been raining for several hours now making it more difficult for Yasu to travel through the place. The woods were vastly muddy and sticky so for once Yasu decide to travel on the dirt roads that ran through Tsuchi no Kuni._

_His cloak was drenched in water and his hood didn't help that much with the rain. Even his backpack grew heavier with each drop that splashed onto it. He would need to get out of this rain soon and find some shelter. It would have probably been easier to set up a tent really quickly but the wind was blowing too heavily to give him any time. The other bad thing was the weather was so terrible and it was so dark Yasu could not really see things clearly. It was very vexing to him._

_Minutes passed by and the weather was not getting any better. Yasu continued on only hoping that he would reach a town very soon. He could feel that he was catching a cold as he let out a hard sneeze. 'This sucks' he thought to himself when all off a sudden he felt his leg unexpectedly dip into the muddy road. Crashing down onto the road Yasu could tell that his leg had broken. Examining the hole that he fell into Yasu realized that it wasn't just some random pothole. After tripping in it the mud poured in revealing a good sized hole that looked like it was man made._

_Struggling to get back up Yasu scanned the surroundings around him. Someone had put a trap here and luckily Yasu had not fallen into it but still some damage had been done. Viewing the area he finally came to the shapes of six distinct figures wearing conical hats. The men slowly approached him all with devious grins plastered on their faces._

"_Looks like we got the boy after all," one of them cackled, "This kid didn't even know we were following him…so hand over everything you got."_

_Yasu did not budge a muscle and made no indication of him giving up his belongings._

"_Didn't you here what he said!? Hand over your stuff or we will take it by force!" another one roared._

_There was no way he was going to give up his stuff to a bunch of heartless thieves. It was not in Yasu's nature to roll over and let people have their way with him. Despite having a broken leg he was going to stand his ground._

"_Your choice fool!" one of them shouted as he charged forward with a sleak dagger in hand._

_Knowing that he would not be as mobile now Yasu stood his ground and launched the attacker backwards with a burst of chakra forced wind. Another appeared behind him attempting a strike while Yasu ducked down digging his hands into the muddy ground and kicking him with his usuable leg. As the man flew back he flung several lines of tough wire that swung around Yasu's body dragging him down into the mud. Quickly pulling the wires off of him Yasu stumbled back up. Just as he got back to his feet there was a sharp pain that rang through his broken leg as one of them jarred a kick into it. Yasu yelled in agony but before he could fall down to the ground he felt three daggers dig into his body. Yasu coughed up blood as three of the attackers held him up with their impaling weapons._

_The other three thieves surrounded the group of four prepared for Yasu to make another move. Quickly one of them pulled out their dagger only to dig it into the ribs of Yasu. Yasu angrily stared into the eyes of one of the thieves as he made no sounds of pain. Blood trickled down the ends of his lips as he tried to think of what to do next. Then almost on instinct Yasu hurriedly peformed some hand signs._

"_Fuuton: Kibaku Kazejinpuu!"_

_Instantly wind circulated around Yasu and exploded out knocking the three dagger digging thieves away from him. The other three then jumped forward drilling their own weapons into the body of Yasu. Yasu let out a slight grunt from the pain and before he could even try to use another jutsu the three let go of their weapons and all at the same time drilled a kick into Yasu's broken leg. The pain was finally too much and Yasu collapsed onto the grimy ground. Yasu layed their motionless while all six of them stood around his limp body. He tried his hardest to lift his body up and continue fighting but it had grown too heavy. Yasu could feel himself slowly fading out._

"_Let's teach this kid what happens when he messes with us."  
_

_

* * *

Two young brute-looking teenagers made their way down the long muddy trail. The rain splashed against their frazzled looking faces. It appeared they were in a hurry to get away from somewhere and did not have any time to waste. As they walked on one of the men abruptly raised his arm up signaling the other to stop._

"_Yo bro do you see that?" he said._

"_I do Koki," he responded, "Should we help him?"_

"_Well of course Kenta!" Koki remarked, "The guy looks like he was beat up pretty badly."_

_The two calmly approached the inmobile bloodied body. By the looks of it he had been lying there for no more than an hour. His face was a bloody mess and his body was covered in many stab wounds. Some of the blood around him had even mixed in with the mud so there was no telling how much blood he had already lost. Very carefully Koki lifted up the listless still-breathing body and placed him over his shoulder. Then the two guys continued on down the road to get the bloody body some help. There was still time to save him._

* * *

"Well we should get going," Yasu commented.

"Are you sure?" a quiet Naruto spoke, "You three could come back to Konoha with us."

"We would like that, it's just that I realize I need to go get something," Yasu responded, "But once I do Koki, Kenta, and I will be sure to stop by Konoha."

"That sounds good," Sakura blurted in, "You three have a safe trip to wherever your going."

"Will do," all three of them smiled.

"Oh and Naruto," Yasu turned back to him," Please forgive me."

"Hey don't sweat it," he said with his toothy grin, "I understand how you feel. It makes me feel sad to hear about it but at least now I know everything…arigato."

Yasu bowed to Naruto, "I'm going to make it up to you Naruto-kun. Yakusoku."

* * *

_hope this one was a good read. R&R. Oh and I won't take as long with the next chapter I've already written most of it._

_Fuuton: Kibaku Kazejinpuu - Wind Release: Exploding Wind Gust_


	14. Chapter 14: Devastation

_yeah it has indeed been awhile since i last put up a chapter. I've been spending some time preparing a roughness of the next few chapters and how they will pan out so expect some significant or semi-significant stuff to happen...I even decided to bump the rating up to an M just in case or whatever...eh well anyways enjoy the chapter_

_ki o tsukete - be careful, teme - bastard, tanjoubi omedetou - happy birthday, kirei - beautiful, domo arigato - thank you very much_

* * *

Chapter 14: Devastation

"It's such a nice night."

"Yeah I can see why Kazekage-sama likes to go out on the dunes at night sometimes."

Two sand shinobi stood guard at the top of the huge walls that surrounded the slumbering Sunagakure. The night left a quiet brisk breeze that weaved across the dune like an artist painting a picture on a canvas. Grains of sand whisked off into the air and the beautiful dunes stretched for miles. Sunagakure was a very beautiful place at night. It was very peaceful.

"I hope our shift ends soon," one of them sighed.

"Hahaha you know we got a few more hours to go," the other one laughed, "It has been a long day though and I would have to agree wi…"

Before the man finished his sentence something happened that was very unexpected. The watch guard position on the wall they occupied collapsed from a vicious explosion. Both men were lost in the flames as several more explosions went off in a domino fashion across the circular protective wall. Very quickly many shinobi zoomed through the openings that were created all across the wall. It appeared that the enemy was finally striking one of the major villages.

Many cloud-nin and rock-nin darted in every which direction ready to take out one of their major enemies. If they were succesful it would surely lead to the end of the war and the absolute victory for Sasuke. More explosions popped up inside the village as little bolts of lightning flashed into buildings and piles of rock smashed into homes. It was obvious they were looking to cause utter devastation.

Reacting quickly sand shinobi took off into every corner of their large village. The enemy wasn't going to go through them without a fight. Battles ensued all across the village as the shinobi clashed. More and more explosions popped up in different places all leading towards the Kazekage's home. It looked like the enemy was going straight for the village leader but they would be met with much resistance. 

* * *

"Gaara what do you want us to do!?" Kankuro urgently asked him.

Gaara stood there silently as he looked out the tiny circular window at the destruction that was happening outside. He was somewhat at a disbelief to what was happening but tried his best not to show it. Already he sent forth the first wave to hold them off but now he needed to get his people to safety.

"Everyone in the village needs to be evacuated to the safe zone," Gaara spoke not looking away from the window.

"I will get right on…"

"No," Gaara stopped him, "Inform Baki to assembly a small group that is strictly for the protection of the people as they lead them to the safe zone."

"What is it that you want me to do?" Kankuro raised his voice.

"I want you to help fight off the enemy," he blankly answered.

"But you still need protection here Gaara," Kankuro quickly responded.

"I'll be fine. You are one of the most gifted shinobi in Sunagakure…I believe in you. You can stop them," Gaara sincerely spoke, "Besides I can hold my own if they reach here."

"Alright I'm heading out then," Kankuro said making his way to the door.

"Ki o tsukete," Gaara softly said.

"Hai," he firmly nodded his head before leaving. 

* * *

"Not much resistence in this area," smirked one of the cloud-nin.

A faction of about nineteen or twenty cloud and rock shinobi made there way across a dusty and sandy four-way street. The sun slowly beginning to creep over the horizon and destruction. Several of the buildings around them had already crumbled and tiny shopping stands were lit afire. They were only a few hundred yards from their destination and it looked like they would make it too.

Just as the group of shinobi charged further a gust of wind blew through as someone swooped down on a giant fan. They stared in awe as the woman propped her fan onto the ground making a loud thud sound. The three purple circles on it seemed to bore into the very beings of their souls as if it wanted to tear them to shreds.

"Here I am coming to visit my brother and I just so happen to see the enemy heading his way," she remarked, "Bad thing for you guys is that our paths crossed."

Without giving it much thought the group of shinobi all performed different hand signs until finally they all placed their hands on the ground. Surges of lightning streamed forward and earth burrowed up towards Temari. Standing ever so calmly she coolly placed both hands on her giant fan as she prepared to attack.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" she yelled while swinging her fan in the direction of the oncoming earth and lightning raging towards her.

A streaming flow of wind burrowed through their attacks easily blowing them away. Not having any time to react to Temari's attack the enemy shinobi were struck by the chakra imbued wind that circulated up forming a tornado of sharp wind. Many of the cloud and rock-nin cringed in agony as the deadly winds sliced through them like a tender piece of steak. A few fell to the ground apparantly dead while some seemed to recover after the cutting tornado slowly dissipated. One of the shinobi coming down landed squarly on Temari's now closed fan making him yell in utter pain. She swiftly flung him off and came dashing towards another survivor. Flinging the closed fan into the air she slammed another shinobi flat into the ground. Then in an elegant motion her fan jerked open as she spun in a circle releasing slicing winds around her killing the rest of the enemies.

"I should hurry to Gaara," she quickly spoke sliding the giant fan onto her back and under her red sash. 

* * *

The enemy shinobi screamed in agony as poison-tipped needles blasted out of Karasu's (Crow) open arm. Blood splattered as the needles drilled into the shinobi's back. Several other sand shinobi surrounded their command leader Kankuro as they struck down many more enemies. Suddenly Kankuro jerked out another scroll that was on his back when he saw that a few fellow comrades would be taken down. With a quick puff of smoke Sanshouuo (Salamander) appeared in front them unlatching the shield on its body deflecting the sharp projectiles. Kankuro swiftly motioned Karasu towards their direction as sharp poisonous blades popped out from a compartment in his arms. The blades dug into two enemy shinobi causing them to scream in pain. Karasu then proceeded to open his mouth releasing poisonous gas in the direction of the rest of them. After the clearing of the poison mist, everyone could see the rest of the enemies lifelessly fall to the ground.

"Squads 2 and 6 head towards the west sector! Push the enemy forces back as far as you can. Squads 1 and 4 evacuate the rest of the people in this area and escort them to the designated safe zones!" Kankuro ordered, "Squads 3 and 5 proceed on with me."

"Hai Kankuro-sama!" all of them shouted in unison before breaking off.

Kankuro and the two remaining squads rushed off north of their current position. It was currently the area that was receiving the most damage. The most obvious thing was to clear out the most attacked location in the village. The success would lead the enemies to take a few steps back…hopefully. Just as they were making their way a screeching explosion came from the direction of Gaara's home. A disbeliefed look swarmed across Kankuro's face as he quickly motioned the squad to split sending some in their first destination and the rest to come with him. They hurried towards Gaara as more explosion's bounced around the young Kazekage's home. 

* * *

"He has nowhere to go!" a cloud-nin shouted.

Rubble collapsed down off of the nearly destroyed home of the Kazekage. Despite the several explosions on the home there still appeared to be no movement from inside. Many of the enemy shinobi stared on a little excited that the explosions may have done the infamous Sabaku no Gaara. A dark figure began to take shape in the dusty smoke that filled the air. The rock and cloud-nin cautiously walked forward, squinting their eyes so as to better make out the figure.

Barely a second passed by when a surge of sand came rushing out of the smoke crashing into a few unsuspecting enemies slamming them into adjacent buildings. Several more enemy shinobi proceeded to move towards the figure only to find out they could not move. The sand had already latched onto their legs hindering their movement as it continued to cover the rest of their body. They struggled to move but the sand covering their bodies was too much for them.

"Sabaku Sousou…" the figure softly spoke.

All the surrounding enemies screamed in utter agony as they were crushed to death. Blood sprayed out like a light mist from the many mounds of sand. The smoke began to clear showing a obviously stolid Gaara standing ever so calmly in his usual fighting gear and giant gourd on his back. His unwavering eyes were quickly diverted as he noticed a worried Temari come rushing towards him.

"Gaara…are you…alright," she spoke trying to catch her breath.

"Hai," he gently responded, "You came home on the right day."

"I wasn't expecting to come home to a battlefield. Where is Kankuro? Is he ok?" she inquired.

"I'm perfectly fine," Kankuro said suddenly appearing with a group of sand shinobi, "I saw the explosions so I came here right away Gaara."

"I've already taken care of them," Gaara coolly responded.

"Gaara did you send word to Konoha of the attack?" Temari blurted in.

"We were able to send out a handful of courier hawks to Konoha…they were the only ones we could get out before the rest were killed," Gaara answered, "The enemy made sure to go after our quickest means of communication…even so we know Konoha won't be able to make it in time."

"So the next orders Gaara?" Kankuro redirected the focus to the here and now.

"Both of you continue to pick apart the enemy…" Gaara cut himself off.

"What are you thinking Gaara?" Kankuro spoke.

"I'm taking the field…I will protect the precious people of our village…I will lay my life on the line," Gaara sincerely said, "They will remember the day they tried to go against Sunagakure and regret ever attacking us." 

* * *

A casual Karin stood on the soft sand dunes outside of the turmoil occuring in Sunagakure. Standing ever so calmly next to her was a foreboding man dressed in yellow and white kage robes. His head beheld a flaring golden mohawk, a chiseled face, and cold glaring black eyes. Seeming somewhat bored being there the man twiddled around with his fingers. Both of them were surrounded by a good-sized bunch of cloud and sound-nin. Sweat beaded down their faces as the bright sun shined upon their backs.

"Raikage-sama there really is no reason for you to be here," Karin commented on his demeanor, "You are more vulnerable here and Kumogakure is in the same position as well."

"This was my choice," he responded somewhat ticked, "I don't need the comments of a girl not even half my age telling me where I should be. I am well aware of the situation and your Sasuke requested that I be here to witness this."

"My apologies…I meant nothing by it," she quietly cowered away.

"Heh I don't care," he grunted, "And could you enlighten me as to why the Uchiha only sent this handful of his shinobi."

"Sasuke-kun is currently planning something else and requires the gist of our shinobi," Karin explained.

"Such a busy boy for such a massive war," the Raikage sarcastically huffed, "Even more is that the guy keeps me in the dark."

"Sasuke does not mean to be disrespectful but this is his war afterall," Karin hissed back.

The Raikage broke out into an entertained laughter, "I sense a little bite in that bark girl. That's good to see someone act so fiesty as I feel."

"Hmph!" was all she could respond with.

"No comment now, what a shame," he softly sighed to himself adverting his attention back towards the village. 

* * *

Gaara calmly trudged through his now devasted village. Columns of sand surged forward like second nature bashing and smashing enemy shinobi to their deaths. Sometimes several sharp projectiles would break the air zooming towards Gaara only to be instantly blocked by his Suna no Tate.

From the way things were looking the brave shinobi of Sunagakure were going to push their attackers to retreat. Even a morose Gaara could feel that this was not the best that Iwagakure or Kumogakure had in their arsenal. If this was just a message to the rest of the villages that Sasuke and the rest were not afraid to take big risks then the message would come across clearly. This war was going to start building a very high death toll.

Seemingly Gaara noticed he had been walking around without a distinct destination as he came up to the once mighty wall that surround their humble village. Taking a few meager steps through the rubble Gaara made his way outside the crumbled walls. Scoping out the horizon Gaara's eyes befell upon a cluster of shinobi standing a bit away from the village. His eyes slowly squinted into a more serious one noticing the formation of the cluster was circled around two figures. The ones in the center looked as they are the ones in charge.

Without giving it a second thought Gaara dashed towards them as he formed a couple of hands signs. Slamming his palms together Gaara came to a sliding stop. The cluster of shinobi quickly noticed his approach but were too late for what was to happen.

"Ryuusa Bakuryuu."

A massive tidal wave of sand began to quickly rise up prepared to bring certain death to the enemies deep beneath the sand. Several of the shinobi launched all sorts of shurikens and kunai at Gaara's direction only to see them get swallowed into the gargantuan sand wave. Surging forward the sand came crashing forward and down onto the helpless enemies. Not being able to react in time a figure instantly appeared in a flash of lightning jamming a rough kick into Gaara's unsuspecting face.

Gaara's body flopped a few feet across the soft sand. There was a look of surprise in Gaara's eyes as he slowly rose up. Little trickles of sand fell from the cracks on his cheek. Looking back to where the assailant struck him Gaara could see that the people that he had just attempted his attack on were all standing before him. And the man that apparently looked like the one that hit him stood there in his white and yellow robes grinning the biggest of grins.

"Guess you weren't quick enough to get us boy," he continued smirking, "But who would of thought you would leave the confines of your own village looking for a fight."

"Who…are you?" Gaara stood still as the sand reformed on his cheek.

"Well I'm the deadly Black Lightning of the clouds Tobikuma Nozomu," he proclamied.

"The Raikage of Kumogakure," Gaara reflected out loud.

"Indeed and I really have to say its quite convenient for you to be here. I would have expected you to stay in the village and fight off this onslaught but instead you go searching for the source of command…how foolish."

"The village is in good hands. My fellow comrades will not lose," Gaara retorted.

"Well if your that confident then maybe you would be brave enough to have a little Kage skirmish," he suggested.

"You act as if you're just playing a game here attacking us."

"Oh but of course," the Raikage continued on mockingly, "There is no way some lowly village could stand against us and there is definitely no way some inept Kazekage can handle me!"

A massive explosion inside the village detered Gaara's attention for a second but Nozomu did not leave any time to waste. In a brisk movement he landed a punch square in Gaara's face and with a slight motion he rammed both of his open hands into Gaara's chest. Swarms of lightning flowed through his palms and around Gaara yet there was no look of surprise on Gaara's face. Nozomu increased the flow of lightning only to have Gaara turn to sand and fall ever so gently onto the ground

"What a shitty Suna Bunshin," Nozomu chuckled dusting his clothes off.

Nozomu coolly turned to Gaara's new position just before four walls of sand rose up around him. Quickly the four walls slammed together with Nozomu right in the middle, sand splashing off in every which direction.

"You're still being too slow boy," Nozomu's voice came from behind Gaara.

Gaara jumped away as rows of sand flew towards Nozomu. Nozomu continued to flash from place to place easily avoiding the deadly sand attacks. Instantly appearing in front of Gaara the Raikage rammed a jarring knee into his stomach, a slashing uppercut to his face, and a devasting kick sliding Gaara back across the sand.

"I'm not just called the Black Lightning because of the unique ninjutsu I possess. My lightning speed is so scary it is like being lost in the blackest of nights," he commented like it came straight out of a book.

Nozomu prepared to continue his display of speed but all of a sudden he found he could not move. He struggled to take his steps toward Gaara but his struggle was to no avail. Gritting his teeth together Nozomu looked down to see the sand firmly gripping his ankles.

"You may be fast but this is my playing field," Gaara flatly spoke.

"Teme!" Nozomu hissed just before receiving a blast of sand to the back that pushed him several yards slamming him into the ground.

"Needless to say Nozomu you are at a disadvantage here." 

* * *

"Tanjoubi Omedetou Naruto!" Hinata and the rest shouted in unison.

Naruto walked into his office to see all his friends gathered around his desk and a giant cake with chocolate icing placed so neatly on it. Nineteen brightly burning birthday candles were lined up on the top of it. Naruto quickly rushed over to it swiping a finger through the icing and shoving it in his mouth.

"Hey baka at least make a wish first before you go diving in," Sakura chuckled.

"Oh yeah heehehehe," Naruto calmly closed his eyes and focused on what would be his wish. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and blew out all the candles.

"What'd you wish for Naruto-kun?" Lee asked him.

"For a better tomorrow," Naruto jerked out a huge smile as he scooped up a chunk of the cake with his hand.

A loud bam sound was heard as Sakura drilled a punch into the side of Naruto's head. Everyone burst out laughing even Naruto with his handful of cake still intact in his palm. Before Sakura could even scold him, Naruto hurled the cake at her planting it square on her face. She stood very still in silence while Naruto rushed behind Hinata for protection.

"Ha don't even think of doing anything Sakura-chan my kirei will protect me," he stuck his tongue out.

A small wink came from Hinata directed towards Sakura as she quickly side-stepped a swarming large pile of flying cake. It blasted straight into Naruto's face causing much surprise in his demeanor.

"Hinata-chan you didn't protect me," he pouted.

Hinata burst into a joyous giggle, "I thought it would be funny if you got hit with the cake."

"Is that so?" he commented just before picking up some cake and squishing it on Hinata's head.

Then in a sudden moment everyone broke out in a cake fight. Pieces of it flew every which way slapping onto walls and bursting into people's faces. Laughter filled the room creating such happiness. From time to time Choji would quickly rush up to eat a piece only to fell a big chunk be plopped on his face. Shikamaru, Ino, an Kiba all teamed up to splattered their opponents to cake oblivion. Shino tried to stand quietly out of the way but was forced in by Lee, Tenten, and even Neji. It was simply a joyous sight to behold.

During this whole time no one had noticed that Kakashi had quietly walked in. Naruto back peddled attempting to avoid another flying piece and gradually bumped into the quiet Kakashi. Quickly Naruto turned around to greet his former teacher.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei! Come to wish me a happy birthday!"

"Oh yes it is your birthday…Tanjoubi Omedetou…but I need to speak with you in private Naruto," Kakashi solemnly responded.

Everyone came to sudden halt as Naruto moved closer to hear what Kakashi had to say. In a matter of a second Naruto's bright and smiling face suddenly turned to one filled with utter fear and shock. They could all tell that whatever Kakashi said was not good news.

"When did the attack start?" Naruto softly asked so no one could hear him.

"Early daybreak…"

"And the casualties so far," his mood falling deeper down.

"We have no idea but the severity in the several messages we received make us assume that hundreds could be dead already and even thousands injured or near death."

"Send whatever men you feel we can disperse to them…I know that it will be too late for us to help them thwart the attack but this is the best we can do," Naruto paused for a moment, "Establish a connection with Gaara quickly…and Kakashi-sensei."

"Yes Naruto?"

"Inform the elders and the rest of my war council that we are to assemble a meeting as soon as possible," Kakashi nodded to Naruto before flashing out of sight.

"Naruto what is happening?" Hinata asked before anyone else could.

Slowly he turned towards them his eyes showing shock and an even deeper anger, "…They've attacked Sunagakure…" 

* * *

Death permeated the air and blood splashed through the sky as the combating shinobi fought tooth and nail. Temari flashed her fan every which direction tearing apart her inferior opponents and Kankuro's Karasu ducked and dived through the onslaught. Enemies and comrades alike were all falling to the ground as the battle raged on. Their minds were wrapped up in the heat of the fight.

A sliver of a moment brought them back down to earth when a massive blast scorched up from outside of the village. Kankuro and Temari quickly turned towards the direction of the blast to see a streaming swarm of black lightning flare up into the air. Looks of disbelief fell over their faces at the enormous sight of it all.

"If I knew any better then I would think that Gaara is out there," Temari remarked, "Kankuro you should…"

"I'm already on it," he cut in, "I'll take some reinforcements and back him up."

"Hurry!"

The smoke and lightning cleared to reveal an out-of-breath Gaara standing motionless attempting to gather himself. He gripped tightly on his left arm as blood trickled down it onto the dry sand. Pieces of sand crumbled off of his now bruised and battered face.

"You know Sabaku no Gaara for being hailed as one of the shinobi with a near-impervisous defense you're not doing a good job of holding that position," Nozumu mocked him, "It seems in the time you felt I underestimated you caused you to underestimate me."

"Come on Raikage-sama let's leave," Karin butted in, "Sasuke-kun did not want you to actually take part in the fight physically."

"Tsk, keep your tongue to yourself!" he yapped back, "I'm entitled to a little fun here."

A slithering line of sand came rushing up to latch onto a distracted Nozumu only to result in a failure as Nozumu quickly flipped over it dashing up to an already exhausted Gaara. Performing a combination of hand seals Nozumu stopped right in front of Gaara. He shot forth his hand while a tiny black cluster of lightning gathered at his fingertips.

"Raiton: Raijin Kuroiito no Jutsu."

In a instant a thin thread of black lightning jetted out of each of his fingertips. The threads quickly flowed over Gaara and tightened down around his body. Nozumu slid back across the sand stretching the black electrical thread far enough to his statisfaction to finally grip onto it. Gaara attempted a slight movement only to cringe in pain from a stinging jolt.

"You're probably wondering what this is. Just consider it like a chakra thread except fueled by my black lightning," Nozomu explained, "A slight movement may cause a little sting but this thread messes with your nervous system making it even harder for you to retaliate and if you bother me too much with a struggle I can pull on this line and rip your body to shreds…So boy what are you going to do?"

Gaara stared at him almost lifelessly before closing his eyes to ponder the situation. A matter of several seconds tolled by when he slowly cracked open his eyes. With what strength he had left Gaara tried moving whatever he had left to control in his body. Twitches of pain flashed on his face as he continue to move more and more in the wrapped threads. A few sounds of agony came leaking from under his breath but it only made Gaara struggle more.

"If that is how you want it," Nozomu said just as he pulled on the thread ripping Gaara into pieces.

To his surprise the shredded Gaara collapsed into soft brown sand causing Nozomu's anger to expand. The thread quickly disintegrated into the air while his gaze bounced around the area for Gaara. Finally Nozomu came upon a battered Gaara rising from the sand. Shaking the dust out of his auburn hair Gaara's eyes flared a sheer determination.

"I told you that this is my playing field," Gaara flatly said.

"Foolish to think you can beat…," Nozomu trailed off noticing a group of people coming their way.

Karin too had quickly noticed, "So maybe now we should get going since more are coming this way Raikaga-sama."

Nozomu disappointingly sighed, "Fine…I'm not looking to fight a bunch of lesser rank and unworthy shinobi. This village looks like its done for anyways so send a few of these shinobi to sound the pull out."

"Don't…run," Gaara huffed.

"Oh I'm not my wayward opponent," Nozomu waved him off, "There just isn't anything left for me to do here. Maybe when you get stronger we could have another go at it but until then wallow in the remains of your so called precious village."

And without another wasted moment they were gone. All that was left for Gaara was a bitter taste in his mouth. It left him with the unknown calculation of killed and injured. It left him with devastation. Gaara waited patiently as Kankuro and the others came closer. Still deep down all this did was leave him with a feeling that he let his village down. He failed to protect the very people he swore to watch over, but this was a loss for every single person sworn to watch over this village. What would be next? 

* * *

"Naruto-sama they are ready for you," Shizune came into his office to inform him.

"Arigato Shizune-neesan."

Naruto rose from his chair while Shizune quietly closed the door behind her. Dressed in his rarely worn Hokage robes Naruto stepped up to his open window and looked off into the sky. He wondered if Gaara and his village were still under attack. Were they pushing the enemies away or were they suffering from utter devastation? All Naruto could do was hope and have faith that they were driving the enemy out. It was all he could do at the moment. Turning around he slowly dragged his way towards the door.

"Hey," a voice softly sounded out. Naruto gently turned around to see a gloomy Yasu propped up on the open window seal.

"Yasu…," Naruto muttered, "I…um…this isn't a really good time."

"Yeah I heard what was happening in Sunagakure," he stepped down into the office, "I don't want to take up your time but I had to go get you something for your birthday. I know it's a bad time but…uh…here."

Yasu reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Yasu raised it up to Naruto who gradually reached out for it. Gently unfolding the thing it revealed a picture of a newborn Naruto being held ever so tenderly by a happy Kushina. Naruto stared at the picture not budging a single inch. Seemingly out of nowhere a single tear trailed down his cheek and landed with a soft patter onto the picture.

"I know it's not the same as being able to know her but I thought that at least you could always carry her with you," Yasu spoke.

"Domo arigato," he sobbed, "This…this means a lot."

"I wish you could have known her," Yasu added in, "She had always said your life was going to be a hard one but she knew that you would be able to overcome any adversity...She loved you very deeply."

Naruto folded the picture back up and slid it into the sash wrapped around his waist, "…So I should probably get going into my meeting."

"Yeah I shouldn't take up more of your time right now," Yasu remarked as Naruto began to walk back towards the door, "Um wait Naruto there was another thing."

"Nanika?"

"I would like to offer my services to you…Kenta and Koki as well," Yasu bowed to him, "It would be an honor to work for you and this village."

"Then welcome aboard…," he flashed him a smile before making his way out of the office.

"I won't let you down Naruto." 

* * *

_so yeah pop in some reviews and stuff...i always liking getting any kind of review. The next chapter will not take as long to post up as I did with this one. So till next chapter._

_Kamaitachi no Jutsu - Cutting Whirlwind Technique  
Sabaku Sousou - Desert Funeral  
Suna no Tate - Shield of Sand  
Ryuusa Bakuryuu - Quicksand Waterfall Current  
Suna Bunshin - Sand Clone  
Raiton: Raijin Koroiito no Jutsu - Lightning Release: God of Lightning's Black Thread_


	15. Chapter 15: My Dearest Friends

_hooray i finally finished it. At first I had planned on this one to be really long but I was nearing the point to where if I edited anymore of it I would have ended up deleting it and starting it all over, so I left it as I originally wrote it. I really enjoyed writing this one so I hope you enjoy reading it...oh and from now on any tranlations for the words will just be put in parentheses in the story instead of the beginning and the jutsus likewise instead of at the end._

* * *

Chapter 15: My Dearest Friends

Naruto stood before an assembled group of his brightest, talented, and most trusted companions. The gifted Konoha 11 were in attendance along with Shizune, Kakashi, and the rest of the jounin. The elders Homura and Koharu were seated next to a serious Naruto.

"As everyone is well aware of we have just received word that Sunagakure has fallen under attack," Naruto opened the meeting, "Currently we do not know if the attacks have ended but we have taken the only possible response by sending out a small team to investigate and establish a connection with Gaara."

"So what is it that you have next in mind Naruto-sama?" Homura inquired.

"With your approval I would like to begin preparations for a counter-strike into Oto no Kuni," Naruto answered him.

"The daimyo has already granted us full control so we will approve whatever actions you wish to take right now," Koharu presented, "What is it exactly you want to do?"

"From the information I looked over from what was gathered during the previous scout missions through Oto no Kuni I have assembled a campaign to attack Akkifue, one of their prime military outposts."

"As such who will you be having lead this attack?" Homura further questioned.

"I have the perfect people to head this campaign," Naruto stared off towards the rest of the jounin, "Would Team 10 please step forward."

Slowly Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru made their way to the front of everyone. Standing a little confused it took them a few seconds to understand that Naruto was selecting them to run the show.

"You're suggesting that we be in charge?" Shikamaru spoke first.

"Well of course I do," Naruto raised his voice slightly, "Team 10 is one of the most in-tuned teams in this village. Each one of you know each other like the back of your hands…Now Shikamaru you will be team leader and will formulate a military strategy with me as well."

"Great how troublesome…," Shikamaru sighed to himself, "…Alright you got it Naruto."

"How long will it be before we head out?" Ino asked.

"We will go through our preparations and head out in five days time," he quickly answered, "Everyone be ready to give it your all, even your life if need be, for the safety of the people…We will not fail." 

* * *

"Mizukage-sama!" an assistant shouted as he ran into his office.

The Mizukage was in a work-crazed mindset. Ever since the alliance that was formed with Konoha he has received swarms upon swarms of paperwork for the purposes of approvals and missions galore. He flipped through the papers furiously signing a page there and documenting a page here. It took him a few extra seconds to realize that his assistant had been calling his name.

The Mizukage slowly glanced up at him, "I assume you brought some urgent paperwork."

"No meijin (master) it is a report directly from Konoha," he handed it to him.

The Mizukage read the contents his eyes growing slightly wider as he read further down the page, "Sunagakure has just been attacked and Konoha is beginnning to prepare for a counter."

"How long ago did this happen? What else does it say?"

"They were attacked approximately a day and a half ago. Sunagakure still stands but thousands are dead and even more were injured. The village was vastly destroyed and Konoha has a liaison team set up there," the Mizukage read on, "The Hokage is requesting any available military muscle we can offer and a…hmmmm…he is calling for a summons in two weeks time. A meeting of the allied kages."

"Meijin (master) would you…," the assistant began to speak before getting interrupted.

"Hai…send a response that we will disperse anything we are able to and make the council aware that I have a meeting to attend in two weeks."

"Right away," the assistant quickly rushed off.

The Mizukage sat still reflecting in the silence of his office, "So things are finally getting into full swing. Now Kisame we can see if my doubts in you are unjustified." 

* * *

A legion of konoha shinobi stood at attention in front of the village gates prepared to embark into Oto no Kuni. The past five days had been spent examining the layout of the military outpost, setting up team formations, planning attack patterns, including many other things as well. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji stood very seriously in front of the large legion facing a firm Naruto.

"We have prepared very well for this in five days time," Naruto began to speak, "I want everyone to know that I am proud of all the hard work you have put into this. We are about to show Sasuke as well as his allies that we are not ones to be pushed around. That what they did to our ally and friend Sunagakure is unforgivable. That killing thousands of innocent people all throughout the land is unforgivable. That threatening the lives of many more is unforgivable…They view us as bugs that can be easily squashed but now they will learn to understand that we will not sit by without fighting for what we have sworn to protect…We will fight to the very end……Shikamaru go ahead."

Shikamaru took a few steps forward and turned towards eveyone else, "Once we reach our first designated point we will split into our three assigned groups with Choji, Ino, and I leading their respective ones. From there the teams will be sent out accordingly to our commands. Everyone keep in mind that our two primary targets are the command post to see if we can gather any intel and their main barracks which has hundreds of sound shinobi. Also, the Mizukage was able to grant a few teams that will be attacking from the north ridge of the camp while we be pulling up from the south…Also everyone here has already received their set of Naruto's kunais and know to use them to set up the trap barriers in the strategic points."

With Shikamaru finished Naruto took a step forward raising his arm up, "Now disperse!" He shouted flinging his arm down.

The many shinobi dashed off in an instant towards there destination. Naruto stood looking off into the distance letting out a small sigh. He hoped for the best and safe-keepings of every single one of them but he knew very much so that some of them would not be coming back alive. It was saddening and even now Naruto struggled to keep those feelings inside but he had to stand strong. Naruto slowly turned making his way back into the village to see the humbled Jiraiya leaned up against an open gate door.

"Ero-sennin what are you doing here?" asked Naruto.

"I just decided to pay you a quick visit. See how things are going," he coolly responded, "From the looks of it things seem to be getting quite busy for you."

"It's just…," Naruto faded out.

"You don't know what to do next do you?" Jiraiya added on.

"Things just seem to keep on piling up. No matter what I do it just doesn't improve," Naruto hung his head down, "What if I end up becoming a failure to this village? Am I just so insignificant?"

"Naruto…you had no way of knowing any of this would ever happen. No one knew that Sasuke would murder Tsunade or that he would want to murder countless numbers of people," Jiraiya tried consoling him, "But what you can do is stop him from harming more."

"But I don't know if I can even do that anymore…I mean if I couldn't have enough strength to bring him back who says I have enough strength to stop him."

"You have had to overcome so much in these past years but you never once gave up. The constant rejection and jeering eyes of the village. Growing up without a family. Fighting to prove that you were so much more than people made you out to be…You even stood against Akatsuki and in the end defeated them and you know what…I wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for you," Jiraiya smiled, "You are a far greater shinobi, or even a better human being, than I could ever hope to be. You also forget Naruto you are not alone in this. You have so many friends that will stand behind you till the very end. Don't let their loyalty and commitment to you be in vain because you wanna doubt yourself. This is a war Naruto now are you going to crumble now or will you push through. Will you just quit or will give it all your heart and soul to overcome? Will you cause doubt among your comrades or will you inspire them to give it all they got? Naruto only you can decide what to do."

Naruto glanced up at his former teacher with the firmest of looks, "I will show everyone that their faith in me to do great things will not end in failure!" 

* * *

A dead silence befell the encampment of Akkifue. The sun beated down on the musky filled land. Hoards of sound shinobi moved and toiled about with their daily duties. Many worked away at chores while others worked through their training sessions. It was a normal day for them.

But deep down at the southern most tip of the enormous camp a band of leaf shinobi slowly and softly crept up. Shikamaru stood at the helm followed by a team of twelve. After a few hand signals from Shikamaru to the people behind they were off in a flash. He crept up a little more and came to a stop behind a bright green bush that was high enough to conceal him. In the opening in front of him was a small group of sound-nin who went on with some simple sparring. Wasting no time Shikamaru formed a rat hand seal causing swarms of shadow tendrils to slither across the ground. Looks of shock ran across the unsupecting faces of the enemy as they felt there bodies came to a sudden halt. Before they knew it a shadow of an arm went racing up their bodies latching onto their necks taking away whatever breath they had left in them. Calmly standing up from behind the bush Shikamaru walked over to the now dead sound-nin. Raising his hand as a signal, the group of twelve shot into the camp to his position. 

"All of you know what to do," Shikamaru commented to all of them.

With a slight nod of their heads the twelve of them dashed deeper into the camp ever so stealthily. Shikamaru let out a gentle sigh knowing this would be a long day. Reaching into his equipment pouch he pulled out a headset and put it on.

"Choji…Ino…do you read me?" he spoke quietly.

"Loud and clear," Choji echoed on the headset.

"Me too," Ino did likewise.

"Once the explosive tags have been placed and go off we will make our move…Be ready."

"We got this guys. Lets do our best," Choji chimed in.

About another minute passed by when several explosions rang throughout different parts of Akkifue. From all directions people screamed off into their deaths while others shouted out the alert and initiated commands. Shikamaru again waved out another signal launching his division of men and women leaf-nin. Looking off at the blazing fires and rising smoke Shikamaru took a deep breath and rushed straightforward into the battlefield. 

* * *

Karin was awoken by a loud blasting sound that shook the very foundations of her tent. Quickly she jumped up and rushed outside to see many more explosions going off in all different directions. Her stunned look held its place while many of her fellow sound shinobi scrambled about. She never expected coming her to oversee how things were holding up to all of a sudden being caught in what was now a warzone. Before she could have any reaction a few shinobi ran up to her.

"Karin-sama we must get you out of here right away," one of them shouted.

Gathering her wits about her, "I can take care of myself. The rest of you should respond to the enemy."

"But under previous orders are you not granted permission to personally take part in a battle," another quickly added.

"I am well aware of what Sasuke-kun wants me to do and I will do as he says but it is under my orders that you respond to this attack!" she commanded, "I will be taking my leave as soon as I assess this."

They understandingly nodded their heads and took off. They only made it a couple of yards away from her when seemingly out of nowhere burst a fierce group of leaf and mist shinobi. The shinobi slashed through them like pieces of tissue paper and proceeded to travel down the rows of tents in Karin's direction. Before they could notice her presence she quickly slid back into her tent.

Crouching down in silence she waited for them to pass by her. She held on tightly to a sharp kunai that she had pulled out. Time seemed at a standstill for her but only a few seconds had actually went by. Then suddenly the flaps of the entrance were pushed forward as a leaf-nin crept in. Without hesitation Karin launched at him from the side drilling her kunai up through the bottom of the person's jaw and out the top of their skull. With a quick yank out of her kunai the lifeless body fell to the floor.

Before making any more movements she calmly focused her mind to sense the surrounding chakra. Sensing no one else near her she let out a deep breath and stepped out of the tent. Several more explosions ignited and surges of fire swarmed down off in the distance. Knowing right away that this wasn't going to go well at all Karin knew she would need to quickly return to Otogakure and report this to Sasuke. So in a quick dusting of the ground she was off in a flash. 

* * *

Naruto stood silently on top of the quiet hokage mansion as he gazed over a resting village. It had only been several hours since the attacks on Akkifue started. He stood there feeling a little sly about his kunai barrier trick. All attempts of anyone escaping would result in them triggering the barrier and resulting in an instant appearance of Naruto. The next thing would be a sudden death for the unaware enemy trying to flee or send word of the attack and he would be back in Konoha all in the blink of an eye.

He ran his fingers across the rail and turned around towards Kakashi who had been there for some time now. Naruto perked up a little smile but his quasi-depressive state was easily visible to a wise eye.

"You could have sent me Naruto."

"I know it's just that I wanted you to be here," Naruto spoke turning back the other direction, "You never know when we could be attacked. I feel confident in the group that I sent to get the job done twice over."

Kakashi walked up to the rail, "The Mizukage sent in another message reconfirming his future visit with you and Gaara."

"Arigato Kakashi-sensei," Naruto trailed off again.

"Are you still going to want the meeting to be here?"

"Actually no not anymore…But I do have a place that seems appropiate," he spoke before leaning forward and whispering it into Kakashi's ear.

"Then I'll get right on it," he said as he left.

Suddenly a quick twitch sparked Naruto, "Damn perfect timing." 

* * *

Karin hopped and bounced from tree to tree making her distance from Akkifue further and further away and closer to Otogakure. She was a little surprised that there would not be some leaf-nin outside the camp to unleash a surprise ambush on unsuspecting escapees. It seemed all too easy.

Her deeply nestled thoughts were all of a sudden broken by a deadly feeling rushing towards her like a tiger that is about to pounce on their prey. The feeling made her land awkwardly on a branch causing her to fall off and fumble to the ground. 'What is this chakra that I'm feeling coming so quickly' she thought to herself as she planted safetly on the ground.

"Heh well I never thought that you of all people would be caught here," a voice came from behind her.

At first she tried to turn around but her shocked demeanor overflowed her ability to move quickly. So slowly she slid around to see a relaxed Naruto propped up on a branch. His orange and black flamed jacket danced around as he flipped of the branch onto the ground.

"N-n-naruto…," was all Karin could muttered still at a lost that the immense and fast-moving chakra was his.

"Looks like luck was working against you," he said in a serious tone, "One of Sasuke's most trusted members standing right in front of me."

"……………," Karin stood silent.

"At a loss of words which is very surprising coming from you Karin," Naruto took a few steps towards her, "You don't need to worry though I'm not going to kill you."

In a scrambled fluster Karin stumbled back flinging kunai after kunai at the approaching Naruto. The sharp projectiles dug deep into Naruto's body revealing that it was a Kage Bunshin. Before Karin could do anything a presence came from behind grabbing onto her hindering her movement. She then felt the pressure of a kunai held firmly to her jugular.

"You're just so confused right now that you don't know what to do," Naruto continued applying pressure to her throat, "Don't make any quick moves though or you just might end up dead.

Not paying any word to what Naruto said Karin pulled free an arm hitting Naruto's away and slamming a kunai into his gut. She did a few flips across the ground to distance herself from him. A grinning Naruto stood there with a kunai buried in his stomach as his body began giving off a faint glow.

"I warned you not to make any quick moves…Now you will get to experience my Bunshin Bakuha (Shadow Clone Explosion) that someone had taught me awhile back," Naruto held his big smirk.

Karin knew what was coming up next. She quickly gathered herself and took of in the opposite direction of Naruto who began to grow brighter and brighter until igniting into a huge explosion. The ground was scorched and the trees were burned or uprooted. Debris flung out every which way from the explosive wave. Karin felt the massive heat racing towards her as she tried to escape but she was soon consumed by it and hurled out. Then before she knew it several wires zipped out of nowhere slamming her body into a tree giving her no means of getting away. With the smoke clearing she could see Naruto squated down on the ground with the ends of the wires gripped tightly in his hand.

"Those sure look like some brutal bruises and cuts," another Naruto appeared right by her patting his hand on the try, "You surely won't be going anywhere now…I have an immense amount of questions for you but for the time being I have a lot to take care of and you would only prove too difficult to interrogate here, so I'll just leave you here with my Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) and return once all this is over."

Naruto disappeared in a bright yellow flash leaving her there with his Kage Bunshin. His azul eyes were firmly fixed on her. Karin knew that she would need to find a way out of this or it would only result in a major pain for her and even more so for Sasuke. She needed time to think.

"You know it's pointless to try and find a way out of this," the Naruto bunshin spoke.

"You…can't…hold me here… for long," she panted trying to catch her breath.

"We are just going to have to see about that now aren't we," he retorted, "Because I sure as hell will not let you get out of this one."

"You are never going to win Naruto," Karin said out of nowhere, "In no such world would you ever be able to beat Sasuke-kun."

The Naruto Bunshin had a sly grin creep across his face, "All the same I'm not looking to beat Sasuke…I'm going to be killing him." 

* * *

"Choji where the hell are you?!" Ino's voice echoed from his headset.

"I'm nearing the main barracks right now," Choji enlarged his arm slamming an enemy into the ground, "I should already have some squad members heading into the clearing."

"You two keep up the good work," Shikamaru's voice rang in, "I'll be heading that way as soon as I'm done here."

"Wakatta! (understood)" they both proclaimed.

Choji continued on his path plowing down anyone who got in his way. He waved many quick signals to his squad telling them to race ahead of them. Choji and Ino's job currently was to destroyed the main barracks of the camp thus sealing a more assuring victory. Ino had already reached their destination with a hefty Choji right on his way. As he raced up a hill Choji came into a wide clearing laid out with burned down tents and a swarm of what looked to be a couple hundred sound shinobi battling out with the ranks of the leaf.

Choji took a deep breath, "Here we go!"

Very casually Choji pulled out a loose chain of kunai wrapping it around his body, "Baika no Jutsu (Multi-size Technique)."

With his body expanded he quickly scoped out a path he would take before sucking his head, arms and legs inward, "Nikudan Hari Sensha! (Spiked Human Bullet Tank)"

The Choji spiked ball came hurling down into the clearing like a rockslide demolishing all in its path. The ball crushed down on a couple sound-nin and sliced through several more. With a quick puff he was back to his normal size but not for long as he readjusted the chain around his arm and enlarging it. With a fell swoop he stretched his arm cutting through a few more enemies. Then from behind him a nimble sound-nin came rushing forward with his slender katana held straight out and aimed for Choji's back.

"Shinranshin no Justu, (Mind Derangement Technique)" Ino's voice resounded from a distance.

The ninja was suddenly flabbergasted that his body began to lower the katana all on its on. It slowly began to turn towards a nearby comrade of his. The next thing the sound-nin realized was his body being forced to slicing through the back of his comrade. Then the guy contined moving around uncontrollably cutting down fellow sound-nin one after the other until finally one of his own took him out.

"I had him Ino but thanks," Choji smiled.

"Yeah right," she joked, "What would you do without me?"

"I don't know maybe learn how to fly," he chuckled while face-slamming a beefy sound-nin.

"Maybe you should learn how to focus," she came running up kicking away another shinobi prepared to attack Choji, "I swear sometimes Choji…"

All Choji could do was smile. Even in the face of so many enemies they still held their lively demeanor. All of them had indeed been through so much together and now they were bravely fighting for everything they cared about. Konoha truly had given the torches off to an amazing generation. Choji, Ino, and the rest continued to slowly work away as friend and foe alike fell from battle. The surrounding sound shinobi greatly outnumbered them but the leaf shinobi fought with such a fiery spirit that the enemy could not even hold a hand to it. It was only a matter of time until they were done here. 

* * *

"Shikamaru-taicho (taicho means captain) this area is secure and everything is going according to plan," a young kunoichi reported to him.

"That's good to here," Shikamaru nodded as he flipped through a pile of papers laid out on a table inside a large tent, "Once I see if there is any useful information here that we can use we will go back up Choji and Ino…Just give me a few more minutes"

"Wakatta taicho," she responded as she stepped out.

For a moment Shikamaru came to a sudden stop. Even though everything was going so smoothly there still was a lingering feeling in the pit of his stomach. That at any moment something could go wrong but he just pushed it down. It was probably just his nerves rising because of the circumstances that he was in. It was one thing to lead a small team and another to lead a whole force into a massive battle.

"I should stop wasting time and hurry," pushing the thoughts aside. 

* * *

Choji and Ino stood side-by-side as they prepared to face off with about eighty sound-nin. Their numbers had been greatly depleted but Choji and Ino looked to be the last ones standing out of the group of brave leaf-nin. Their heavy panting greatly showed how exhausted they were but there was no time for rest. They had to finish the job.

"We can do this Choji," Ino panted as she quickly healed up some of her's and Choji's wounds.

"Together we can finish of these guys," Choji concurred with Ino.

"I'll take the fourty on the left and you can have the fourty on the right," Ino suggested.

"Gotcha!"

Choji went rushing off to the right while Ino leaped towards the left. He dipped and dived enlarging his arms and legs as he pounded away at a couple of them. Ino swung through them with a kunai in one hand while she hurled shurikens with the other. Both of them continued to dwindle them down slowly but surely. As Choji rounded behind a sound-nin a big brute came soundly behind him holding Choji back from any movement. Before Choji could enlarge his body a couple of kunai pierced his body while a slender shinobi slide right in front of him forming a series of hand signs.

"Otofugu no jutsu, (Sound Distortion Technique)" he hissed as he raised an open palm to Choji's face.

Choji began to feel a strain on his ears like a loud screeching noise was holding him hostage. The big brute let him go but not before drilling a hard elbow into the side of Choji's head crushing his headset. His vision became a slight blur and his body seemed to be way off its equilibrium as he stumbled forward. From his reaction to the technique Choji could quickly understand that the shinobi sends off a massive sound wave targeted directly for the inner ear causing the person to fall off his equilibrium making him more vulnerable. Yet even though Choji was very unbalanced now it's not like he's never experienced something of this nature before. 'It can't be helped. I'll have to use them' he thought to himself. So slowly he reached around his side pulling out a plastic case holding three different colored pills. Flipping up the first tap he pulled out the green pill and popped it in his mouth.

Meanwhile Ino tried her best to handle the overwhelming number comparison. Slowly she took down a few of them but a good portion of her chakra was already drained from before and from trying to heal what she could on her body while still battling it out. Ino slipped a bit as she dodged a rough punch but it was enough to leave an opening for another sound-nin as they hammered a kick into the side of her face busting up her headset. Cringing from the pain and the blood sliding down from her ear Ino felt something sharp jam into her back. Dropping to her knees she reached back and pulled out a bloody kunai. One of her hands began to give off a green hue as she prepared to heal her ear and the wound in her back but she felt a yelp of pain bellow out from her as a heavy foot dropped down on her hand. A vastly muscular sound-nin stood strong holding a kunai high above his head ready to finish her off.

The man furiously swung down to what was surely the striking blow. But all of a sudden a flash of someone dashed in easily holding the man at bay. His fierce look was now replaced with a more surprised one. Standing squarely in between the muscled man and Ino was a sleek and slender Choji. Ino looked up to see a blazing pair of butterfly wings formed from blue chakra. Choji's samurai-like armor was now gone only leaving behind a shredded and tattered shirt that Choji was wearing. Blood was slowly flowing down the side of his face as he stood there so firmly while he raised his headband that he was once wearing to the man's surprised face.

"This is who we are! We are members of the leaf!" he spoke aloud so all could hear him, "No matter what you do we will always fight for the things that we care for most! We will always fight to protect the people of our village! We will always fight for peace! Even if it takes our own lives we will fight until the very end! It's either all or nothing! So do your worst because we will never give up!"

Very hesitantly a couple of sound-nin rushed towards Choji but Ino quickly hurried to blockade their way. A couple of daggers and kunais dug into her body but she was able to take them down.

Choji turned his gaze slighty towards Ino, "Ino gomenasai (I'm sorry)…I know that I shouldn't have taken the pills but…"

Ino raised a hand cutting him off, "Hey forget it! You said so yourself just now 'it's either all or nothing.''Until the very end.' So don't apologize for giving it your all because I wouldn't want it any other way. So lets do this!"

Ino performed her hand sign while setting her sights on the muscled brute still in the grips of Choji, "Shintenshin no Jutsu! (Mind Body Switch Technique)"

Ino's body softly fell to the floor indicating her spirit had gone off to invade the man Choji was holding onto. Slowly Choji released the man's arm just to be cautious in case something had gone wrong and Ino by some chance wasn't successful. He glanced at her slightly weirded out by the thought.

"Don't give me that funny look," Ino's voice echoed out with the slight sound of a deep hoarse voice, "Keep an eye on my body will ya and lets finish these guys off!"

The body possessed by Ino stepped back from Choji as if to attack him but quickly turned around charging at the others. A smirk trailed on Choji's face as he focused the brunt of chakra to both of his hands. While keeping a watchful eye on Ino's body Choji dashed from spot to spot slamming his massively powerful fists into his enemies sending them quickly to their deaths. Ino used the brute's body to overpower her opponents as she gutted them down one by one. A few weapons slipped by her defenses digging into different parts of her body but it did not stop her. Noticing someone had approached Ino's own body he quickly ran to fend him off. Several sharp projectiles grinded into his back as he got closer and closer. The enemy flung a kunai into the shoulder of the immobile Ino causing the body Ino was using to make her slip up allowing a couple of sound-nin to stick in a few more daggers and kunais. But before any more damage could be done Choji gripped down on the guy's head crushing his skull from the sheer pressure.

Slowly but surely they took down their numbers. With Choji and Ino giving it their all the enemies did not stand a chance. Choji was finishing off by slamming two heads together like two trains doomed for a head on collision and Ino ripping through the side of the last standing sound-nin out of the eighty that they had originally stood up against. Finally able to let go of her weapon the muscled body fell soundly to the floor. Then Ino's body gave off a slight twitch as she struggled to get herself up on one knee.

"That was…the last of them," she said before coughing up a handful of blood.

Choji wobbled to where Ino was falling to his knees right in front of her, "We finally did it."

Ino stared softly at his bloodied and battered face as she held a faint smile, "Asuma-sensei…would be proud of us…wouldn't he?"

"Very proud Ino," a tear slid down his face, "…very proud."

With a shaky and feeble arm Ino slowly raised it up wiping the tear from Choji's face, "Hey…no tears…I'm grateful…I'm so grateful that I had so much in my life…my family…my comrades…my friends…my village…I'm ever so grateful……Choji…arigato…for being my……my friend," she slowly trailed off as she fell calmly to the ground.

Choji kept a somber gaze on a faintly smiling Ino as her life slowly drifted away with the wind. A couple more tears came leaking out as they gracefully fell onto Ino's soft cheek. Slowly he lifted his gaze off to the horizon as the sun was nearing its bedtime. The purple's and pinks filled the peaceful dark sky. The majestic hues would always be there but Choji had never noticed how beautiful it was until now. Off in the distance a few explosions could be heard but Choji could no longer hear them. The only sound he could pick up now was the gentle breeze softly whispering a sweet sound in his ears.

"So this is what it's like…I didn't know what to expect," Choji quietly spoke, "I'll miss you guys……Sayonara (goodbye)…Shika…maru." 

* * *

Shikamaru came to an abrupt stop as a sudden feeling of sorrow and worry overwhelmed him. The few shinobi of his task force had bounced a few steps ahead before realizing that Shikamaru was frozen in place. They looked at a man who seemed in a state of shock but of no apparent reason. He quickly raised his hand to his headset.

"Daijobo deska (Are you all right?) Shikamaru-taicho?" a brown haired kunoichi asked.

"Choji…Ino…Do you guys read me!?" he shouted into the headset, "We are almost there…Do you read?!"

He waited a moment for a response but the only sound that replied to him was an endless drone of static. It was like a vicious knife thrusting to Shikamaru and it only made his feelings intensify. He signaled for everyone to proceed as all of them hurried to where Choji and Ino were. They zipped up a shallow hilltop and over into the clearing where a brutal battle had just taken place. Laid out like a swarm of dead bugs were the many bodies of both sound and leaf-nin alike. Shikamaru waved in his team to find anyone that was still alive while his eyes frantically darted from spot to spot. His eyes were suddenly filled with the sight of two familiar bodies laying side by side. Shikamaru quickly shot towards where they were hoping and praying that this feeling he had wasn't true. Sliding down to his knees he checked the two bodies for just a tiny hint of life in them, just a small glimmer of hope that they were fine.

"Ino are you ok? Can you get up?" he asked her the tears welling up in his eyes.

There was no response. He checked her vitals but there was no sign of life in her.

Shikamaru fearfully turned over to Choji, "Hey buddy come on get up!" the tears rolling down his face.

There was no response and no showing of life in Choji either.

"Come on you guys get the fuck up! We're going to win. We did it! All I need is for ya'll to get up…You guys can't be dead…i-i-it…isn't possible," his whole body trembled as he nudged Ino and patted Choji on the face, "I need a medical-nin over here now!"

A couple of leaf shinobi were already standing ever so somberly around Shikamaru and the motionless Choji and Ino. They already knew that a medical-nin could not help them, yet a medic still ran up to check out Choji and Ino to see if there was a chance of them being alive.

The med-nin looked straight at Shikamaru with saddened eyes, "Shikamaru-taicho they are already g…"

"NO!" he roared back, "They can't be gone…They…They can't be dead. It..it just can't be."

Shikamaru slammed his fists down on the ground in a fury. No matter how much he denied it he already knew that they were gone. Shikamaru bent forward, his fingers digging deep into the ground, the tears splashing onto the cold dirt. There were no words that could be uttered to console him. All anyone could do was stand there and watch the reaction of a man dealing with the fact that his team members were dead. The fact that his two dearest friends were no more.

* * *

_i hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter...I was a little sad when I wrote the Choji and Ino part. RIP Choji and Ino...R&R plz. I really want some feedback._


	16. Chapter 16: Steps Back and Forward

_its been awhile since I've put up a chapter but here it is finally. I spent some of my spare time as much as I could to get this done and I think it has turned out pretty decent. This chapter will have a fare amount of flashbacks in it as well. so hope you enjoy it._

_**Also a side note:** This chapter does have some **scenes** and **spoilers** from recent chapters that I cannot take credit for so here is a heads up. However there are some things that I shape and outcomes that changed so things could go along with my story._

* * *

Chapter 16:

Chapter 16: Steps Back…and Forward

Naruto's eyes radiated like the ocean on a midsummer night. His deep blue eyes were completely fixated on the immobile Karin. The wires clung her tightly to the gritty tree that had been holding her at bay for several hours now. A stolid silence had been hanging dry in the night air as Naruto stayed focused while Karin continued to try and assess her predicament.

"Akkifue is done with if you want something else to think about," Naruto blurted out calmly, "Now pretty soon we will be taking you into Konoha."

Karin's head was dropped low by his comments. She had no way of getting out of this and because of that it only made her feel more and more of a disappointment to Sasuke. She was the right person to get captured for very important information which would just be a thorn in Sasuke's side. She slowly raised her head back up and suddenly noticed something that wasn't there before. A sliver of luck was turning to her side and it was in the form of a very familiar figure closing in on Naruto's backside. His alertness was a little off the mark as a transformed arm sliced right through him making the body puff into thin air. The person slid across the soft ground finally coming to a stop in front of Karin. She sat still raising her eyes up to an open hand that was returning to its normal form.

"Are you going to get up?" Juugo towered over her.

No words came from her mouth as she reached out her hand and was pulled up by Juugo. She quietly stared at him very thankful that someone pulled her out of this tough situation, but before she could heave a deep sigh of relief her attention turned to the sound of leaves cracking from the footsteps of another person. From the recesses of the dark forest strolled a serious raven-haired man. His bangs slighty swayed with the wind and his cloak lightly leaned from side to side with each step. The cold glaring black eyes laid flatly upon Karin.

"S-Sasuke-kun gomenasai (I'm sorry)," Karin quickly apologized, "Please forgive me for my failures."

Sasuke came to a stop a few feet away from them, "Fortunately for us we decided to come seeing as you had not returned at the time I wanted you to…but it looks like Akkifue has fallen."

Karin dropped her head in disappointment, "I didn't want to let you down and I deserve some kind of punishment for doing so."

"It does not matter anymore. What's done is done…but you will have to prove that my trust in you won't be wasted ever again."

"Forgive …," Karin suddenly cut herself off seeing that a certain blondie had reappeared.

Karin and Juugo looked on with wide eyes at a serious Naruto standing back to back with an expressionless Sasuke. Naruto stood silent, eyes closed, with his head slighty held low. It was easy to see the look on his face held much anger in it like a wave of storms were forming his mind. Even so Sasuke did not flinch a single muscle at his presence. It was just merely a way of him showing that Naruto's presence meant nothing.

"I had many Kage Bunshins lying in wait just in case anybody came to save her," Naruto raised his head up opening his eyes, "But who would of ever thought that you of all people would show up…Sasuke…"

Sasuke stood unresponsive to Naruto.

"Time is at a standstill for the both of us isn't it?" Naruto rhetorically said, "But I'm going to personally make sure that it stays that way for you…I will stop at no end to finish you off Sasuke."

"…You will never be able to beat me baka (idiot)," Sasuke softly spoke, "I will destroy everything you have ever know…And in the end of all this I will be the one that ends you."

"I will grind you to the floor for everything you've done!" Naruto raised his voice.

Swinging his arm behind him, Naruto drilled a quickly formed Rasengan into Sasuke's back. There was not a hint of pain that cringed on Sasuke's face as his body suddenly burst into a swarm of slithering snakes. Naruto was then entangled by the snakes who squeezed harder and harder trying to take his every breath away from him. He burst into a puff of smoke while two more Narutos jumped out from the depths of the forest with a Oodama Rasengan formed between them. They came crashing down on the snakes slicing and dicing them into tiny pieces. As the giant blue sphere drilled into the ground, a nimble Sasuke erupted from under the dirt flipping over the two Narutos. He swiftly landed out of the now formed crater slamming his hand down into its edge. Swarms of electricity raced through the crater, tearing it up, as the current swallowed them causing more puffs of smoke to go off.

Sasuke easily noticed Naruto come rushing at him from the corner of his eye. There was a flat look on his face while Naruto came swinging down with his sharp kunai. With a smooth fluid motion Sasuke reached from under his cloak pulling out his Kusanagi. Latching onto Naruto's striking arm holding him at bay Sasuke swung his sword up cutting his former teammates arm clean off. Naruto let out a yelp of pain but the sound was instantly stopped by the sudden impaling of his gut.

Sasuke stood firm with his bloody Kusanagi gripped firm in his hand while a one-armed Naruto tried to push the sword out of him. Finally dropping his arm to his side Naruto slowly gazed at Sasuke square in the eye. The blood flowed out from his mouth and dripped from his chin splashing onto the deadly blade. Neither of them budged another inch and the two present members of Team Hebi stood in awe. Could Naruto have been this foolish to have been finished this quickly? They could not grasp ahold of what exactly was going on.

"How pitiful of you to do this," Sasuke commented, "You are a fool to no end."

"…Heh…," Naruto raised a smirk, "After everything that we've been through…you're going to underestimate me."

Then without warning a monstrous kick was planted into the side of Sasuke's face sending him sideways several yards. Recovering from the surprise hit he turned back towards his previous position to see something that a sent a look of disbelief to flow through his face. The once bloody Kusanagi was laid flat on the ground as clean as the day he got it. The previously one-armed and impaled Naruto was standing a few feet in front of where he was struck with not a single scratch on him. Finally realizing what had just happened Sasuke returned to his normal demeanor.

"…Genjutsu…," he softly spoke out as a trail of blood trickled down one end of his lips, "…Since when?"

"I really wanted to save it for another day but I figured what better way to give you some insight to how much I've prepared for you. I've trained endlessly and I've learned to no end," Naruto explained, "…I have your brother Itachi to thank for it."

Sasuke eyes shot wide open at the mere mention of his brother's name. The thought that Naruto had gone to those lengths to prepare for him flashed signs of trouble. Naruto must have put in a lot of training to learn how to go toe-to-toe with an Uchiha and Itachi was his teacher to boot. Was there something more to what Itachi was doing like when he murdered their clan?

…_The truth about your brother has been hidden within a vast, infinite darkness…  
…recall everything you know about Itachi…  
…remember your loving brother…  
…his top-secret mission…was to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan  
…so Itachi made his choice…  
…the only thing he failed to do…was kill his little brother…  
…he was worried about you more than himself…  
…he couldn't kill his little brother…  
…he decided, all on his own, to commit a crime he would never be forgiven for…  
…this man who risked everything to protect the shinobi world…  
…a man who worked tirelessly to keep his village safe and stable…  
…to protect you…  
…everything was planned out…_

There must be some ulterior motive for his brother to do something like that. Itachi is know for those things. Even so somehow Itachi survived that fight that occurred several years ago when many thought, including Sasuke, that he was dead. Yet still till this day Sasuke, despite knowing the truth of everything, swore to be the one to kill Itachi while still following through with his other plans.

…_Itachi planned every last detail…  
…When he left the village, he had already decided he would die by your hand…  
…He let you defeat him, and take revenge for the Uchiha clan, to turn you into a hero…_

'Could it be that Itachi is still trying to protect me even if it's from myself' Sasuke kept thinking to himself. Sasuke knew that this path he chose is the one that he wanted and no one was going to stand in his way. But Itachi's was always a murky one. This time was Itachi doing something for the village or for his brother? Or could there be something else?

"…Well it sucks that we can't finish this today though. Time is short right now…But know this Sasuke…I will kill you. Even if it's the last thing I ever do."

With all that being said Naruto disappeared into a puff of smoke leaving the three of them to wonder. A slight twitch of anger filled up Sasuke's brow seeing the same pattern play for Naruto. His potential was jumping even more leaps and bounds.

"Let's go," he flatly said as he began walking away.

"That's it?! After what just happened right now…," Karin blurted out, "all you can say is 'let's go.' I mean you don't think anything of what Naruto just…"

"Now!" Sasuke raised his voice to an annoying Karin, "Let's go both of you now before you ruin my patience. We're heading back."

Juugo casually joined Sasuke and Karin slowly followed suit. Does Sasuke really not care about how far Naruto has come or did it actually bother him? She wanted so badly to say something else or ask him what was really on his mind. But Karin knew she would never get anything out of him so she just settled her mind back into what they would be doing next. What surprises would be in store for them?

* * *

A somber Naruto and Shizune stood in silence on the desolate battleground that held witness to Choji and Ino's finally hours. Shikamaru was still curled down on the ground between his two friends still reeling from the fact that they were gone. The fight was finally over but the sadness was just setting in.

"He's been like that for over an hour now," Shizune sadly sighed, "The pain he must be feeling…"

"I know…," a depressed Naruto proclamied, "It's such a weird twist of fate too."

"What do you mean Naruto-sama?"

"This is the same day Tsunade was…well you know."

"Oh…," Shizune finally realized, "I see what you mean…"

"But yet I just can't quite grasp the fact that my former classmates and friends are dead," Naruto softly said, "It's even more that I had a run-in with Sasuke too."

Shizune's eyes shot open, "Sasuke was here?!"

"Yeah my Kage Bunshins had an encounter with him about a mile or so away from the camp. The little fight just ended a few minutes ago," he told her, "I do feel that if things were better that we would go after him right now, but it is more important that we care to the wounded and take our fallen comrades home where they can have their rightful resting places."

Naruto walked away from Shizune down towards where Shikamaru was still mourning. How difficult it must be for him. Choji and Ino were like family to him and to lose both of them like this was terrible. No one deserved the pain that the others, especially Shikamaru, were now feeling.

Quietly Naruto stopped in front of Choji and Ino giving a very deep bow of respect for his fallen friends. They had given their lives fighting to the very end as did many others. They had died for what they believed in and what they swore to protect. This was the result of war and the sad price for peace. Sending his reflective thoughts to the back of his head Naruto kneeled down next to Shikamaru laying his hand gently on his back.

"Hey buddy," he soothingly said, "…Let's take them home."

* * *

The gray clouds hung heavily in the afternoon sky. Two newly filled burials stood firmly side-by-side. The funeral procession was over and most of the people who came to pay their respects were all gone. Shikamaru stood solemn over his dead friends. The tears that were once sliding down his cheeks were now dry. His bloodshot eyes could not lift their gaze from the ground. He was stuck in between reality and a dream with nowhere to go.

"Am I really that weak," he softly spoke.

"It's war Shikamaru…," Naruto slowly walked up behind him.

Shikamaru kept his gaze down, "I know…but I could have done something to save them. If only I had gotten there sooner."

"We knew well that something like this could happen. The more you dwell on what you could have done the more focus you lose on what must be done," Naruto spoke smoothly, "Choji and Ino knew what was at stake and they gave their lives defending what they believed in, what they vowed to protect. We can honor their courage and their sacrific by winning this war. We will do it for all the lives we have lost and the future ones that will fall…I'm out of place too Shikamaru. If I could have done something I would have. I wonder if I made the wrong decision by sending them if I had know this would happen but I must be strong for the village. I cannot have any thoughts of doubt. I won't let this village down."

"…They really did pick a good Hokage in you Naruto," Shikamaru responded.

Naruto held a slight smile from the compliment, "Hey…take as much time as you need here and after that I need you to report to my office…I have a new position for you," Naruto gave a long bow and parted ways with Shikamaru.

Slowly Shikamaru kneeled down on one knee. Placing a hand on each of the gravestones Shikamaru gave his final goodbyes to his friends. He knew he had to be strong. Mourning for them could only go so far before it could slow him down. Shikamaru vowed he would honor everything they did. He would go full force into everything that laid ahead. He would give it his best even if it takes his life.

* * *

The office door creaked open as Shikamaru finally strolled in. Already inside stood Yamato, Neji, and Rock Lee.Yamato was in his anbu outfit, Neji was wearing his white robe-like attire with dark brown pants, and Lee was clad in a sleeveless green shirt including matching pants and a light green flak jacket along with bandages that were wrapped from his elbow down to his hands.

"Oh Shikamaru you finally made it," Naruto motioned him to join the others, "So all of you are probably wondering why I've called for all of ya'll…I have new assignments."

"What kind of assignment?" Neji asked.

"Well I'll get right to the point. You three shall form my new elite anbu squad with Yamato as the captain. You will only answer to me and no one else."

"Not even the Director of Anbu Black Ops?" Lee chimed in.

"Hai," Naruto affirmed, "The new director Mitarashi Anko will not receive reports about anything this squad does; however, she will be aware of this squad. The elders nor the council will have any knowledge of this. This team is not even on record officially and it will remain that way."

"…Why the need for secrecy?" Shikamaru finally spoke.

"I need to have the assurance that I have a highly skilled squad in anbu that I can trust completely."

"Meaning?" Shikamaru inquired more.

"It is true that anbu is under the control and report directly to the Hokage and that final approvals for new members into it are always signed off by me. But the elders, the council of Hi no Kuni, and the daimyo all must be given the information of every time a person is brought in but their identities. They even have the power to bring in candidates as well. If someone isn't satisfied by my objections of a person then a council meeting can be held and I could be overruled," Naruto paused for a second, "This has rarely happened of course but recently a tiny handfull of suspected Root members, excluding Sai, have been allowed into anbu. Danzou, being a member on the council, has made some recent suggestions for some candidates that have been allowed into anbu…I believe in the old man and Tsunade-baachan as past Hokages to not be very trusting of Danzou and his Root division. Anbu surveillance has been on Danzou for several years keeping a sharp eye on everything that he does but now that there is a chance that Root could have a few eyes in anbu I wanted to be assured that I had an elite squad that can move freely where the gaze of people I don't trust cannot reach them…So I have chosen each one of you for that reason as well as others."

"It's amazing to see your growing knowledge," Lee popped a grin, "We will not let you down Naruto-kun."

Naruto glanced over the rest to see the affirmation to their new position. All of them had a look of complete commitment to it. Seeing that they were on board Naruto scuffled through a bag that was hugging tightly to his chair and pulled out two scrolls and handed them to Yamato.

"Our first mission assignments," Yamato opened them handing them to the other three to look, "You can see that they are currently blank."

"Huh? They are," Lee confusingly looked, "What are we gonna do with blank scrolls?"

"Lee they are sealed scrolls that can only be released by us," Neji answered him.

"To ensure our secrecy only Naruto-kun and us can reveal the scrolls contents," Yamato added on, "They are like blood contracts only we can access."

"Now that ya'll have your first mission assignments you guys are free to go," Naruto said as he continued on his paperwork.

Each gave a slight nod and made their way out. Yamato, the last one in the room, came to a stop at the door and turned back towards Naruto. He had wondered if Naruto was worried about doing all this. If he were caught there could be a possibility that he could be stripped of his position or even worse.

"Naruto-kun," Yamato spoke out.

"Nani? (What)" Naruto looked up.

"Are you sure about this?" he quietly asked.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he grinned, "Besides with your skills as well as theirs I know you guys would never be figured out."

* * *

The light rays broke the dusty morning sky. The sun slowly crept over the horizon as the shades of night began to fade away. Walking along a dry desolate path surrounded by vast mountain ranges blanketed with massive trees was a relaxed Naruto accompanied by Kakashi and Sakura as well as several chuunin an jounin leaf shinobi. The descreetly overshadowed path twisted and turned as they walked further along it finally leading them down into a narrow valley. They trekked beside a tiny stream and jagged rocks deeper into the valley coming up to a dark cave. The the group of chuunin and jounin walked in first checking for any dangers. After a few minutes they came back out signaling to Naruto that things were clear. So with a deep sigh, Naruto followed everyone into the cave.

They walked in darkness for what felt like hours while they twisted and turned down the many tunnels. The gentle stream could be heard flowing along with them as they journeyed deeper through the cave. Finally a faint light could be seen in the distance showing the way out. Making it to the opening they came to oversee a circular valley completely surround by high mountain ranges. They could see the stream flowing down into the valley and splitting off to several more caves on the mountains. But directly in the center of the valley stood what they had come here for.

A large tower stood proud and quiet like a wise old hermit. By the appearance anyone could guess it had been there for many generations. Vines grew up the sides of the dusty and dry brown tower. Pieces of stone were missing from many spots on it and signs of rust could be seen on many places of the building; however, five distinct element symbols stood out above a large dirty door.

"So this is one of the sacred Kage's Tower," Naruto muttered to himself, "It looks so ancient."

"It would seem it hasn't felt the presence of people in many years," Kakashi commented.

Finally they strolled up to the old large door. Naruto ran his hand across many tiny markings that ran across the door. He huffed a soft sigh lifting his hand up towards his face. For a moment he examined the dirt smudges on his hand. So many great and gifted shinobi had graced this place with there presence. There was much history held here and Naruto couldn't help but wonder what they would do in a time like this. Was he even worthy of being amongst the ones who had preceded him?

Bringing his mind back to reality Naruto stepped back a performed a sequence of unfamilar hand signs ending with him biting down on his thumb to reveal his blood. He gently placed that hand on the door causing the markings on the door to glow a faint blue color. A soft creaking sound could be heard as specks of dirt bursted out from the middle. The doors slowly swing open inward giving sight to a large room filled with pillars and statues. They made their way in hearing the door slowly swing itself shut behind them.

The inside looked even more ancient than what it was on the outside. Moss and vines flourished all over the place. Many massive and jagged cracks ran along the blackened walls. Some parts of the floor looked as if a stampede of animals had trampled over it. To many of them it seemed surprising that this place was still standing by the way it looked. But still there was a feeling of tranquility here. They walked more coming to a stop in the middle while they looked over five statues standing in a circle facing outwards. Each one of them were firm figures bearing the robes of the kage. The five kage statues bearing homage to the five great shinobi nations all standing together harmoniously.

After gazing over the present surroundings, everyone made their movements towards a set of grayed stairs dirtied by the trials of time. They made their way up the hard steps that went up and split out in opposite directions along the wall leading them to what was above. Winding up the stairs and around the room they entered, everyone arrived to a splintered wooden door. Naruto gently grabbed onto the knob and slowly pushed the old door open.

The room they came into was just as large as the one below them. The five statues of the kage's could be seen lined up across the wall overseeing a large polished circular stone table. The room was not empty though as everyone quickly noticed that Gaara and the Mizukage were present each with their respective entourages.

"We've been waiting for you to arrive Hokage-sama," the Mizukage rose from his seat and approached him, "I am Yuuga Harou one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist and the current Mizukage. It is a pleasure to finally meet you formally."

Naruto shook his hand, "Yeah me too."

Naruto slowly examined the relatively young looking man with flowing navy blue hair. There was a soft look to him that Naruto could easily feel warmth and comfort with yet in the back of his eyes there was the look of anguish from something. The scar across his right eye even suggested more to it. But despite the look of anquish this man appeared to be very caring for his people and his nation. Naruto then moved his glance from Harou to Gaara. Gaara sat there with the usual solemn look on his face but only Naruto could tell that there was an even sadder disposition that was glazed over his deep black eyes. The same could be said for Kankuro and Temari who were a part of his group standing behind him. After looking over everyone, Naruto finally took a seat.

"…Gaara gomenasai (I'm sorry)…," Naruto spoke directly to him, "I wish I could have done more when Sunagakure was attacked."

"………," Gaara was silent for a second, "It is alright Naruto…I know you would have done more if you were able to. You did what you could…Our shinobi fought bravely to protect our village."

"Still if you need anything from us don't be too proud to ask," Naruto retorted, "But now what should we do next?"

"We all know that the reality of this is that Uchiha has the upper hand against us with the many towns destroyed along the Hi no Kuni border and the severing blow to Sunagakure," Harou proclaimed, "The question of what we do now is something that will take away from our enemies. Uzumaki your recent attack on Akkifue was a minor flash of what we can do but now is the time for something even greater."

"Something that will land a very damaging blow to Sasuke," Naruto spoke aloud slighty to himself, "And your right it has to be something bigger than what we did at Akkifue."

"I know something that we could do," Gaara spoke up, "Something that will both make a statement for what was recently done to my village and something that will make Uchiha Sasuke fall from his high and mighty seat."

* * *

A recluse Sasuke stood amongst a vast pile of rubble. Trails of vines and weeds ran through it like an unwanted infestation which could not be fought off. He stepped over piles of rocks towards a big wall bearing a large uchiha symbol. Running his fingers along the wall and placing a hand on his forehead Sasuke reminiscenced on the last battle that occurred here with his brother and the things that followed suit. So much had happened from that time up until now and even more so it was as if the years were nothing. No one could have planned the way things turned out. They were almost fading memories in Sasuke's head but yet they held on like a hungry leech. Thinking back on everything now Sasuke could still picture them as if the memories were strung all together like an extravagent tapestry.

…………………………

_Splashes of water __plopped up off the ground as the rain continued to pour. The wreckage of the Uchiha hideout held almost no signs of life except for a single fallen Uchiha. The rain pattered onto a lifeless Itachi washing away the dried up blood on his face and body. Sasuke was long gone as well as the Konoha team that got there too late. The black flames of Amaterasu were no more but they left a wide charred ground surrounding the demolished hideout. A slight twitch quivered through Itachi's arm and came to a stop. Slowly the eye's of what appeared to be a dead Itachi crept open. He looked up into the sky his vision blurred by the massive use of his Mangekyo Sharingan. The rain splashing into his eyes and sliding down his face like a stream of tears. Very gingerly he turned his head to the side and noticed that a blurred figure had just arrived. The figure casually took a couple of steps towards Itachi._

"_I would have figured you for dead the way your lying there," the figure spoke to him, "Your not that much of a weakling are you?"_

"…_Kisame-san," Itachi softly muttered, "…We must leave."_

"_So soon," he chuckled, "You don't even look like you can get up and you want to leave already. Why in such a hurry?"_

"_I will tell you__ everything along the way," Itachi turned his head back up to the sky, "…I have to see what's happened…There could be much more I have to do."

* * *

_"_So will you take Itachi's eyes and transplant them," Tobi asked Sasuke who was sitting atop a large ribcage surround by graves and bones._

"_No…," Sasuke blankly responded, "What Itachi wanted to see and what I will see, are two vastly different things. I can't do what he wanted…"_

"_Either way we have a meeting to attend so I suggest you tell your Team Taka(hawk) to get their things."

* * *

__Kisame stood waiting on the winding balcony walkway as Tobi approached him. After secretly moving Itachi to a safe place and learning of the truth from his partner Kisame knew he had to appear as if he was out of the loop of what was going on. Luckily he was not with Itachi when Tobi had approached him to inform him of this impromptu meeting. As of right now all he knew he needed to do was act surprised when Madara revealed himself to him and play along with his plans. It still was a little surprising to find out that the childlike Tobi was actually the retired Sandaime of Kirigakure._

"_I need to talk to you Kisame," Tobi said as he came to a stop a few feet away._

"_First Zetsu interfers," Kisame made mention to his fight with Suigetsu, "…Now you. I thought you were dead Tobi."_

"_You ended up being the last to know…," Tobi spoke sounding a little shamed, "You were closest to me, so I'm sorry for deceiving you."_

_Kisame turned towards Tobi who was reaching up to pull his orange mask off. Appearing to be surprised by the revealing of Tobi's real identity Kisame let a resounding chortle to make things look like they were more at ease now._

"_So you're 'Tobi'…I never would have guessed," Kisame remarked, "Well, this puts me at ease. With you pulling the strings, it'll be much for me to move about Mizukage-sama…uh or rather Madara-san."_

"_I'm counting on you Kisame," Tobi said assuringly.

* * *

_"_Well…?," Zetsu spoke sounding a little on edge._

"_Everything went smoothly," Tobi responded, "But I hear sounds of concern in your voice. Why?"_

"_Itachi's body was missing," Zetsu responded._

"_Is that so…hmmmm…So that would mean he is probably alive out there somewhere. Then I guess its best to just keep that between us," Tobi said not sounding at all concerned._

"_You don't feel we should tell the rest?"_

"_No there is no need. Itachi has already lost. His little attempt to give Sasuke extra protection in the form of Amaterasu was a failure and resulted in Sasuke now having the Mangekyo Sharingan. Everything has turned out exactly as I planned it," Tobi said coolly._

"_But no one would have ever told the truth about Itachi so why would he bother to give Sasuke all his eye techniques?"_

"_Even if the truth had stuck with him Itachi would be tormented by the idea that I would find Sasuke," he answered Zetsu._

"_Even so…It's still a little surprising that so many Akatsuki members have been killed," Zetsu commented._

"_Hai(yes)…but they all joined of their own free will. Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara…without any of them we would have never come this far. Their efforts brought us to this point," Tobi continued on, "The most important thing was to make Sasuke mine…So there is nothing Itachi can do to stop me."_

"_Do you wish for me to search him out and track him?"_

"_There is no reason for you to do so. I need you for more important things," Tobi said while his one eye gaze shifted to a new arrival, "You can leave Zetsu."_

"_Wakatta (understood)," Zetsu listened as his body morphed into the ground and out of sight._

_Tobi turned around to face towards a newly arrived Pein standing there with his Yahiko body, "So what news do you have for me Pein?"_

"_Someone saved Jiraiya," Pein flatly said._

"_Heh so first you manage to defeat and 'kill' Jiraiya then someone comes along and saves him," Tobi said slightly sarcastically, "How did that come to be?"_

"_Someone pulled him out and kept him stable. They also gave quick word to the Konoha group that you encountered and they took him back to Konoha for medical treatment."_

"_Do you know who did it?" Tobi asked._

"_No."_

"_And what about the coded message he entrusted to the frog. Do you have any idea what message he intended to leave?"_

"_I don't know for sure but thinking on it a guess would be that he could have figured out my secret," Pein responded, "But even if they find my secret they have no hope of defeating me."_

"_Don't be too cocky Pein it could be your downfall. You have already lost one of your six bodies…heh but then again your cockiness is one of your strong suits and you do have replacement bodies and you also always seem to turn up with even more surprises than that," Tobi added, "Either way Akatsuki can continue on unfeathered. You will lead the rest of Akatsuki to capture Naruto and I have instructed Team Taka to find the eight-tails. Everything will go on as planned. We cannot afford any missteps."_

_Pein nodded in agreement as he made his leave. Tobi let loose a sly grin buried deep under his mask. The destruction he longed to bring upon Konoha would soon be at hand and with so many obstacles out of the way it would be even easier. After spending some time thinking and gazing upon the wide pond, Tobi disappeared out of sight. Not soon after a liquid image of a head rose from the water giving shape to the cold maniacal eyes of Suigetsu.

* * *

__Sasuke and the rest of his team strolled into a large dark and dank cave. Everyone was battered and sore from a hellish battle in capturing the jinchuuriki who held the eight-tails but they had finally overcame their opponent and brought them to where Tobi had specified. It was unfortunate that the dark-skinned cloud-nin that they fought was extremely adapt at us__ing the demon that was inside him. If it hadn't been for Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan they knew that things could have ended up with a more horrible result. Either way they got what they wanted and now they stood before the massive King of Hell statue. The very omnious object that already held seven of the nine tailed beasts. It was a fasinating yet shocking sight for them to see. Its appearance was demonic and deathly. It was like something of such horrific magnitude that just wanted to swallow the most powerful and dark things in existence, and essentially it had already done so for the most part._

"_You can toss the body right there," Tobi stood atop one of the fingers pointing to the very front of the statue, "We are about to begin so I suggest you get comfortable and relax cause it's going to take several days for this one."_

_Sasuke plopped the near-lifeless body onto the cold ground and stepped away with the rest of his team. The remaining five members of Akatsuki began to focus their chakra as they began the extraction process. The five occupied fingers gave off a faint green glow of the symbols that were displayed on their rings. Soon after the open mouth of the statue released nine flowing blue spectral dragons that came crashing down onto the body. The man screamed out in agonizing pain as the bijuu was being sucked straight out of him. This would seal the end of a strong and brutal ninja who had earned the respect of his clan and country._

_Sasuke looked on with a blank stare at a sight which would be tramatic to some. Taking his glance from the hopeless man, he examined the quiet Akatsuki members who were focusing everything into their job. He quickly noticed that only Zetsu, Tobi, and Kisame were physically there while there was only a phantom image of Konan and Pein. He grew slightly confused by it and wondered if something else was going on._

"_I see Pein and Konan are only here through an astral projection," Sasuke spoke aloud to his team, "What do you guys think?"_

"_We were told by Madara, I mean Tobi, how these things went sometimes," Karin responded, "It gives them the ability to technically do this while physically being somewhere else and have a slight freedom to do things."_

"_Yeah but with Akatsuki being this low in numbers would it just be as logical to have everyone here," Sasuke retorted, "Pein and Konan would be able to supply more chakra to the extraction and make this quicker."_

"_I agree with Sasuke," Suigetsu spoke up, "This is boring as hell and we've only been sitting here for a few minutes. Why do they get to be the lucky ones and not actually be here?"_

"_Because Pein and Konan have a very special job they must prepare for," Tobi's voice echoed throughout the cave, "Pein, as the leader of Akatsuki, must uphold to his duty of capturing the last jinchuuriki."_

"_So they are off capturing Naruto while I have to wait here?" Sasuke sounded a little bitter._

"_Madara personally asked me to capture Naruto," Pein finally spoke, "So the nine-tailed kid will be brought in by my very hands. Once we are finished here Konoha will bear witness to the power of a true 'god'."_

"_But what about my goals Madara?" Sasuke grew angry, "Disregarding the fact that I should be the one to take down Naruto, what of my goal to have my revenge on the higher-ups of Konoha?"_

"_That time will come Sasuke. Once Pein has taken Naruto we can go into Konoha and do whatever we want with it. You will have what you are seeking," Tobi confirmed, "A perfect plan takes time to follow through with so a little patience from you would be much appreciated."_

"_Fine…," Sasuke scoffed, "Just as long as things get done."

* * *

__Itachi sat relaxed in a wooden chair staring blankly into the darkness of the tiny little cabin that held him. It was a very secluded cabin deep in a vast forest surrounded by miles and miles of trees. No human life was even close enough to accidently come across Itachi's hiding place. The only way someone would know of the place would be if Itachi had given the information to them himself. His quiet and calm daydreaming was soon interrupted by a sudden creak on the floor boards as someone gave way to their presence._

"_What news did bring me?" Itachi asked as he already knew someone was going to show up._

"…_Pein is dead," the voice answered, "He was defeated after a long and grueling fight. They discovered his secret and managed to truly take him down."_

"_And now you've officially deserted them eh Konan?"_

"_Hai," Konan stepped out of the shadows, "Everything we discussed is done …I pulled Jiraiya out from his impending death and secretly delivered a message to Naruto and his group to save him. I continued following along with Pein and Akatsuki like a loyal member. I secretly sent my knowledge of Pein to Konoha to help them further prepare for his arrival. And I finally abandoned Akatsuki to come here."_

"_And I'm sure they know now that you have done all these things," Itachi added on._

"_But how did you know I would help you by do all these things?" Konan's curiousity leapt out._

"…_Because of your eyes," he quickly said, "I could see in your eyes that you still had a caring heart despite what your life has given you. I knew me coming to you as soon as Kisame came and got me, I would still be able to salvage what I could of my plans and the feelings you held in your heart. So I knew you would help to save your former teacher Jiraiya and you deeply care about your country so I also knew you would stop Pein, someone you've been beside for so long, even if it meant harm to your country."_

_Knowing Itachi was right Konan stood silent for a moment, "…So what are we going to do next? There is still the matter of Zetsu and Madara as well as your brother."_

"_Kisame is revealing his alterior motives and dealing with Zetsu as we speak and with Madara I know exactly what I can use to stop him for good," Itachi grew quiet suddenly, "…As for my brother I had hoped that he did not choose this path. So if Uzumaki Naruto can't save him now then it will be too late to help Sasuke."_

"_So the portion of your power you put into Naruto?" Konan inquired._

"_It was to give Naruto something special that I hope he never needs to use…and…it was also a fail-safe for me if Sasuke fell into Madara's hands," Itachi explained, "I can use it for something that it originally wasn't intended for. I can use it to take the Mangekyo Sharingan that I granted Sasuke which is probably what I will have to do now."_

"_But your hoping that it won't be like that?"_

"_I have to put my hopes into that foolish little Naruto," Itachi smiled, "Cause that kid is capable of many things."_

"_Yeah…I witnessed his abilities when me and Pein were in Konoha," Konan reflected back on the fight, "He is a very gifted person. Together with his friends and comrades he showed a lot of promise. I could see why Akatsuki wanted to keep a very watchful eye on his growth."_

"_Truly…and now he has left to Myouboku Mountain to train with the toad sages," Itachi finally stood up from his seat and made his way to the door, "Well now I guess I should be heading out. There are some things that need to be done before a final confrontation with Madara happens…In the mean time Konan I need you to check on something for me."_

"_Nanika? (What is it)"_

"_I've gathered some disturbing information that I need someone to help me confirm," Itachi sighed, "Something that could be an even greater threat to the shinobi world than even Madara."

* * *

__A tired Sasuke stood trying to gather his breath. Things were finally winding down as he did battle amongst a dry barren wasteland. Many leaf shinobi were laid about either dead or __just from severe beatings. Sasuke shot is red eyes around checking on his teammates to see that they had fallen to their hands and knees too tired to go on. Finally taking his eyes off of them he looked several yards away to see the last and final member of Akatsuki duking it out for what had been hours now with whatever Konoha had sent to throw at him._

_Soon after Konoha had received word of the last Akatsuki member showing up, Tsunade sent off groups of the some of the best Konoha had to offer to finally put things to an end. It was even more troubling after all the information that was gathered on Tobi that he was actually the infamous and legendary Uchiha Madara. So sending many shinobi to fend him off was a wise yet risky maneuver._

_This whole final showdown actually had begun with Konoha finding the whereabouts of Team Taka, a trap that Madara set up to draw some of Konoha's best out, and having the Konoha 11 with their respective former sensei's showing up as well. It was very drastic of Tsunade to order a mission like that but it had the greater potential of getting things done and getting Sasuke back to Konoha. What resulted was Tobi showing up and taking down most of them along with Sasuke and his team helping out. Tobi wanted to kill two birds with one stone by having the final jinchuuriki there for the taking and to drag out more leaf-shinobi away from the village. Everything went exactly how he wanted it by Kakashi summoning Pakkun to go get reinforcements resulting with things finally reaching this point._

_Slowly Sasuke started dragging himself to the fight making his way past several of his former classmates that had passed out from exhaustion. It was a bitter renunion of the Konoha 11 all in the same place and the last ones still standing were him and Naruto, who was busy giving all his efforts to beating Madara. He was not alone though. Sakura continually tried to give her efforts to help take him down but she was finally brought to the ground too tired to fight on. Kakashi, Yamato, Guy, Kurenai and several other of the elite jounin were still landing in their attempts to beat him._

_Reflecting on things as he made his way closer and closer to the fight Sasuke already knew full well Madara was very untrustworthy and had the potential of getting rid of Sasuke after Madara got what he wanted. Sasuke too knew that eventually he would get what he wanted from Madara once he finally got to the elders of Konoha and killed them but when he thought about it more he knew he would need Madara's help for much more. To him it felt like an unsafe decision to make but he had no choice if things were going to get done after all this was over._

_Further__more, with the countless amounts of jutsus that have been used by and on Madara there had to be some fatigue and injury inflicted on him. It was still astounding to Sasuke that Madara was this powerful. Even seeing some of his jutsus were simply jaw-dropping. But despite the fact Sasuke was actually a little frustrated about the situation. He really wanted everyone out of the way so he could go one-on-one with Naruto. It was annoying to always have Naruto come after him. Sasuke wanted to show him once and for all that he would never come back. It was time to end things for good between them._

"_I won't let you have Sasuke," Naruto roared as another one of his blows missed Tobi, "Why do you want him so badly?!"_

"_It is my own reason as to why Sasuke is with me and pretty soon the Kyuubi inside of you will be mine again," Tobi laughed, "Then I will release him back on Konoha and finally have it be destroyed unlike 16 years ago."_

"_We won't let you take Naruto or destroy Konoha," Kakashi struggled back to his feet, "You will be stopped for all the deaths and devastion that you've caused in your lifetime. It all ends here with your death Madara!"_

"_I've been able to live for a long time and even after this I'll live far beyond your lifespan," he laughed even more._

"_Fuuton: Rasen Shuriken! (Wind Release: Spiral Shuriken)"_

"_What the…," Tobi turned around with shock in his eye._

_Two puffs of smoke went off while a raging Naruto came rushing forward. His Rasen Shuriken was giving off a high pitched frequency. The yellow center was spinning rapidly and the chakra wind blades making the shape of the shuriken were vibrantly glowing. Tobi was thrown completely off guard as Naruto smashed the Rasen Shuriken deep into the core of his stomach. The result was a massive sphere of destruction that consumed him and pushed the remaining people still standing back with the heavy gush of wind. Sasuke stared on shocked by the very powerful jutsu Naruto had performed. Not even his Sharingan could pick up everything that happened. It was an amazing sight to see the damage that it created._

_The dust slowly cleared over an enormous newly formed crater and everyone looked on to see if their foe had finally been taken down. Kakashi took a glance at Naruto to see a smirking face reshape to a stunned one. He looked back into the crater, along with the others, to see a tattered but very alive opponent. His Akatsuki cloak was torn to shreds and his once bright orange mask was shattered into pieces on the ground. The remaning clothes that was under the cloak was torn up especially around his stomach which was covered in blood. Some of the metal plating on the sides of his arms and legs were missing or damaged as well. His short hair was covered in dust but the thing everyone noticed the most was that Madara's face was finally in the open. The face of an old man who had long outlived his generation. The several lines under his eyes showed signs of the time he had endured yet he still held a semblance of his former youth which kept all of them wondering how he has lived for over 80 years. Madara's now revealed left eye was the very thing he had achieved so long ago. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was as plain as day for everyone to see and yet something seemed wrong with it. There was no energy behind the eye as if it was completely drained from use._

"_So that is the famed Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan," Kakashi spoke heavily, "It looks as if it holds no more life in it anymore."_

"_It was just another sacrifice to achieve my goals," Madara panted, "Besides my massive amount of chakra, this has been the reason why I've lived for so long. The ways to a true jutsu that has granted me immortality."_

"_But…how can that…be possible?" Naruto showed signs of fading._

"_It was something only I was able to manage with my unique skills and special chakra. Soon after my epic fight with Hashirama, the Shodai Hokage, where I was almost put to my death, I spent the majority of my time further developing the abilities of my Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. After a numerous and rigorous time of trial and error I finally achieved what I thought was only a dream. One day I finally reached a piece of what I ultimately sought for. The jutsu I created gave me the ability that would help grant me immortality. So using my Sharingan to manipulate the time space around myself I've retained my life throughout the years but it still wasn't completely perfected yet. In the meantime I formed Akatsuki, furthered my plans for revenge against the Uchiha clan and Konoha, and I continued working on perfecting my jutsu."_

"_But eventually with such an unknown jutsu it would run out," Kakashi remarked_

"_With the constant use of it on myself to be assured that I would live on through the years, it did take its toll. But the very thing I was also waiting for was the right candidate to help me fix that."_

"_New eyes…," Naruto mumbled._

"_That's right…I needed new fresh and stronger eyes to be able to produce the perfection of my jutsu," Madara spoke clutching on his stomach, "But it was a surprise to me that one of my attempts to destroy Konoha in the form of the Kyuubi would give light to the very candidate I was looking for in Uchiha Itachi. The planned coup d'etat by the Uchiha clan only helped me get closer to what I wanted; however, as I went along with my plans I discovered that Itachi proved troubling but another appeared in Sasuke. With a pure and easily moldable Sasuke I could accomplish all of my goals…heh even right now Sasuke is under my genjutsu seeing us still fighting while I reveal everything to all of you……Now I have had my obstacles. In fact Yondaime was the biggest one. He figured everything that was going to happened so he sealed the Kyuubi inside his son to protect the future of Konoha."_

"_Is that true?? Yondaime…was my…father??" Naruto's heavy eyes grew wide._

"_He truly was…and he is the one who is still a thorn in my side today because of you. You're the last bijuu that I need to ensure my power over everything in this world, but somehow you have proven to be a major nuisance that won't go away. But everything changes after today. Today I accomplish everything I have planned for…So I'm done talking. This all ends now!!"_

_Madara quickly rushed out of the crater towards a exhausted Naruto as he slowly passed out. Between the surprising information of who his father really was and the massive use of chakra, Naruto could not hold himself consious anymore. Everyone rushed forward to stop Madara before hearing a tired and unaware Sasuke annouce the activation of his Mangekyo Sharingan. The next thing everyone knew was a quick flash of smoke that spread over the area. People jumped in every which direction trying to figure out what just happened. Slowly the smoke let up to reveal a blue-skinned man standing behind Madara holding a bandaged sword up to his neck. Naruto was unconsious several feet away so Kakashi and the others quickly appeared around Naruto protecting him from anyone else that would come along._

_Sasuke stood wondering what had just happened partially seeing Kisame by Madara while another figure blocked the rest of his sight. He slowly looked up to see who was in his way. A shocking look surged over Sasuke's face like a wild virus. He could not believe his eyes. Standing there right in front of him was an expressionless Itachi. His Akatsuki cloak waved in the wind as he held up to fingers towards Sasuke's forehead._

"_You look like you've seen a ghost…little brother," Itachi flatly said, "You know the truth about me and I had hoped that things didn't turn out this way. Madara molded your mind to exactly what he wanted. I had hoped that you wouldn't have chosen this path Sasuke…heh Hebi is a more suited name than Taka for your team because it turned out you didn't shed your skin and become a hawk…hmm…I left a power in Naruto that I see he hasn't used but now I've taken it back because I see what must be done. But before I use the power to take your Mangekyo Sharingan away, I'll show you the whole truth Madara skewed for his advantage."_

_A couple of yards away everyone saw Sasuke collapse to the ground and a walking ghost walk towards them. Everyone, not including Madara and Kisame, had thought Itachi to be dead and to see him now sent a wave of wonder through them. Kisame was holding a wide maniacal grin at the irritated expression Madara had on his face._

"_You don't look too happy to see us Mizukage-sama," Kisame cackled._

"_Out of respect I didn't go kill you Kisame even after your betrayal but now it looks like I have no choice," Madara hissed._

"_That's not going to happen Madara. You have greatly outlived your time and now that will come to an end. You should have killed me yourself," Itachi slowly walked towards them with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, "I would suggest everyone back away."_

_Kakashi lunged Naruto up over his shoulder and quickly signaled for everyone to pull back. From a distance they saw a skeletal shape slowly take form around Itachi. It was an astonishing sight to see a massive spectral figure surround Itachi._

"_You think by using Susanoo that you can stop me Itachi," Madara smirked, "You are still as foolish as they come."_

"_That's exactly what I am going to do. It seems that after everything that has happened you still take me too lightly. You still can't see how far I will go to protect the very things I care for," Itachi made a signal for Kisame to move away, "You think you've found a way to live forever but you've really only found a way to push your death date back."_

_In one quick motion the spectral form reached into its sake bottle and lunged the Sakegari at Madara only to have him easily dodge it. Several more swipes were taken but Itachi could see that Madara was too fast and there was a certain amount of time he maintain Susanoo. Kisame watched on knowing that Itachi would soon reach his limit. Knowing that this would happen Kisame swiftly dashed towards Madara taking him by surprise. Hurling his sword forward he slammed Madara into the ground. Then like razor sharp blades some of the shark skin scales came ripping out of the bandages digging into the grounded Madara_

"_Ugh…what do you think your doing?" Madara could feel his remaining chakra being drained, "I was your mentor…I've taught you countless things…and you…and you return the favor by betraying me. I will still give you a chance right now to redeem yourself."_

"_No," Kisame coldly responded, "You were my mentor and a powerful teacher, but things are going to end like this. Even an old relic like you must be put to an end…and let's just say I hold an alligence to someone else. This is goodbye Mizukage-sama."_

_At the last second Kisame jumped out of the way as the Sakegari came slamming down into Madara. A slight yelp of pain crept through his lips. He could not believe that this was actually the end. Madara could see now that the very people he underestimated would prove to be his downfall. He knew they couldn't compare to his power but how could he be the one down for the count like this. Things were not suppose to turn out like this._

"_You sought to be immortal so now you can have it for all eternity in oblivion. Trapped in a genjutsu until the end of time," Itachi was showing signs of fatigue, "That is where your life has taken you………It's over."_

"_No!" Madara roared as his body began to morph into the sword, "I am the greatest of all Uchihas!! The most powerful shinobi in existance!! You can't beat me!! No one can!! I am the immortal Uchiha Madara!!"_

_Nothing else could be heard from Madara as the rest of his being was absorbed into the sword. Slowly Susanoo disappeared from around Itachi as he stumbled a few steps forward. He deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan and took a deep sigh. Things were finally over. Uchiha Madara was no more._

"_Let's hurry and get going Kisame-san," Itachi quickly said, "Madara is no more so our job here is done and I don't want to have to deal with Konoha. Let them be left wondering what just happened here…Besides we have to meet up with Konan to see what she has found out."_

"_Heh," Kisame huffed in agreement._

_In an instant Itachi and Kisame were gone. Everyone still left behind went rushing in to help out their injured comrades and to fully assess what they had just witnessed. Who knew that things would have turned out this way. No one had seen this coming. But there was no time to sit and think. The battle was finally finished. Now they just need to pick up the pieces.

* * *

__Naruto slowly cracked open a strained eye, heavy from exhaustion. With blurred vision he tried to get a focus on what was going on around him. Slowly images of trees and people began to take form around him. Laying there he gathered what he last remembered._

"_Watch out!" Naruto suddenly jolted up._

_Kakashi quickly rushed over to Naruto to calm him down, "Daijobu des (It's alright) Naruto. It's all over. Madara is no more."_

_With a clearer vision Naruto looked around to see all his friends recovering from the major fight, "It's really over…And everyone here is fine?"_

"_Hai Naruto…We are all fine. We are just resting here until Tsunade-sama sends us a relief group to help us out."_

"_And what about Sasuke-kun?" Naruto flatly asked._

"…………_," Kakashi stayed quiet for a moment, "He didn't come with us."_

"_What do you mean he didn't come with us!?" Naruto stumbled to his feet in anger, "How could Sasuke not be back with us? If everything is finally over then shouldn't he return to Konoha with us?"_

"…_Naruto…I'm…," Kakashi dropped his head._

"_NO! I'm not going to let Sasuke get away this time! I can't let him do that…I will go back and get him," Naruto frantically said as he dashed off._

"_Naruto wait!" Kakashi shouted._

_But Naruto could not hear Kakashi anymore. He was already far on his way back to the battlefield. He just couldn't understand that now that everything was over and done with that Sasuke did not come back with them. One of the reasons Naruto pushed himself so far was so that he could help bring his friend back to Konoha with him. There was some things that Sasuke would have to answer to but in the end Naruto knew everyone would welcome him back openly. So many people have helped to bring Sasuke home. Now they were closer than ever. Naruto did not want to leave this place without him. He couldn't turn back on his word._

_Naruto cleared the trees and leaped down onto the barren plains where their fight had just occurred. He jerked his head from spot to spot across the plains seeing if he could still find Sasuke. After a few frantic jolts and a growing knot of pain inside Naruto finally brought his sight on a few figures that were far off in the distance. Without anymore wasted time Naruto charged off with an urgent vigor. He quickly neared the distance between them in a matter of seconds._

"_Sasuke!" Naruto screamed out with little energy he had._

_Sliding very hard to a complete halt Naruto finally stood behind the friend he tried so much to save. Sasuke stood still his back towards Naruto as his other companions nodded to Sasuke and continued walking on. Naruto stumbled forward a little still feeling the exhaustion from the previous fight. Sweat beaded off the side of his face while he panted heavily, but he didn't care how drained he was there was no way that he could let Sasuke leave._

"…_Sasuke…don't go," Naruto was trying to catch his breath, "All of this…is over. Why do you still insist on leaving?"_

"_Hmm baka (idiot)," Sasuke kept his back to him, "You just somehow never seem to face the truth. I am never going back to Konoha."_

"_But you have no reason to not return. Akatsuki is finished and you took your revenge against your brother."_

"_No my brother is still alive," Sasuke corrected Naruto, "He was here…"_

_Naruto's eyes clenched with anger, "Let it go already Sasuke! I know he murdered your whole clan but revenge is only going to destroy you. You will be left with nothing expect for despair."_

"_I am already left with nothing expect my own ambitions…My revenge for Itachi is done with but I still intend on killing him one day, but now my sights are set on something else. Something even more important than the death of my brother. I do not care where my path takes me just as long as I fulfill my goals…Konoha is nothing to me…You are nothing to me," Sasuke turned towards Naruto gazing at him with cold and weary eyes._

"_No matter what I do you still won't let me save you. You won't let me bring you home to all the people who care about you," Naruto's eye swelled up with tears, "I've gone through so much to finally reach the day where I would get my friend back and I just can't let you walk away…Not this time."_

"_Are you saying you're going to fight me and take me back?" Sasuke asked._

"_If that's what it takes. I failed the first time but I won't fail again."_

"_Neither of us even have the strength to lift up even a finger. Even right now I can see you're just standing there by sheer willpower."_

"_What do I have to do to make you see?" Naruto slid forward a bit, "What do I have to do to bring you back?"_

"_You are still so naïve Naruto…The days of childhood dreams are gone…There is nothing you can do that will ever change my mind. You are the one who must see that everything that there ever was is a thing of the past to me. Konoha is now and will always be…my enemy. I will see to it that it falls beneath my hands."_

_Naruto's teary eyes grew wide at Sasuke's remarks, "How could you say something like that? What has become of you Sasuke?…I…I could never let you do something like that."_

_Sasuke turned back around and continued walking, "Well then this is goodbye…The next time we face each other we will be sworn enemies…Face reality Naruto…this is the end…"_

"…_S-sasuke…n-no…," Naruto could only muster a whisper as his vision faded out and he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

_"So its settled then," Naruto spoke, "Gaara will lead a campaign from the south while Harou heads in from the west. But do you still think it is smart for both of you not to be in your villages. Besides the fact that Sunagakure is recoving, there will be a big weakness for the villages with both of you attacking Kumogakure. This will be a very big risk to take. Are we willing to do that?"

"It is a big risk for us but with both I and Gaara there the chances of success are higher and the rewards are well worth it. I have people that I can personally vouch for that can take good care of Kirigakure while I'm gone," Harou assured Naruto.

"And I will have Temari be in charge while I'm away. Sunagakure will be in good hands," Gaara added on, "Besides it is my duty to us and my village that I go take down Kumogakure."

Naruto smiled, "I'm confident in you guys. I can send some of Konoha's shinobi to Suna and Kiri to add some extra protection. I know this is going to take a good while for you guys to get there but remember that we can't be figured out or seen at all."

"We will make sure to do so. Kumogakure will not see what's coming," Gaara firmly said, "We will not fail."

* * *

_beginning work on the next chapter which I hope doesn't take me as long. but in the mean time gimme them reviews peeps. They would be much appreciated._


	17. Chapter 17: The Calm Before the Storm

_it's been quite awhile (which is an understatement) since I posted up a new chapter but I've finally had the spare to time to finish it up so here it is._

* * *

Chapter 17: The Calm Before the Storm

A bloodied ninja stumbled through a lightly illuminated corridor towards a small room. There was a flushed look of panic on his face as he clutched the left side of his torso while he frantically swung his head back and forth. The man stumbled into the small room slipping down to the ground. He picked himself up staring with wide eyes towards the direction he had just came from. Taking a few steps backwards he let out a quick sigh as he began to feel he had gotten away from what he was running from. Just as he turned around a slender sword came bursting through his chest. The red liquid from his mouth splattered onto the sword and then down to the floor. Then with a quick jerk of the sword the man fell to his knees

"Where are they?" the attacker questioned the death-bound man.

With glazed eyes the man stared up at a person with a white porcelain mask shaped like a bird that had flowing blue marks etched near the eye holes. The person was covered in the standard issue anbu uniform and a freshly marked tattoo could be seen on their left shoulder. He had long dark hair that flowed down past his shoulders. Standing there very firmly he held his sword towards the jugular of his prey.

"I-I…w-won't…t-tell," the man gasped for air.

"We could have done this the easy way so that where I would have made your death a quick one. But either way I can get what I want from you," he spoke softly and confidently.

He cleaned of his sword and sheathed it into the scabbard strapped on his back. Calmly raising up two fingers he began the process to extract what he needed. Suddenly a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the room as the deathly shinobi prodded the mind of his victim. After some struggling from the weak-willed man, he finally let himself go giving out the information that the attacker sought for. He dusted of his hands and reached up towards his earpiece.

"I have the information we want Tenzou-taicho," he remarked into the earpiece.

"Good work Kiyoto," a voice echoed from the earpiece, "Relay the information to everyone else and proceed on with the mission."

* * *

"Gotcha Kiyoto," a crotched man said with bowl-cut hair clad in a green anbu motif bearing a simple porcelain mask with streaking green marks on it in a diagonal fashion and bandages wrapped around his forearms and hands, "I'm on my way to the destination point."

"Shunya I've already reached our destination," another voice popped in on the earpiece, "Swiftly deal with any stragglers on your way. I will try to wait for you guys before I make a move."

"Will do Akira," Shunya responded.

Shunya slowly unlatched a cellar door as he came up into what was a small shed. Moonlight rays shined in through the thin spacing of the sturdy planks that formed the walls of the shed. He creeped over to the door making extra sure he did not let out a single noise that could give off his presence. Placing his back to the door Shunya calmly listened to the sounds that were outside. The sounds of footsteps pitter-pattering on dirt, leaves, and stone walkways could be heard from out of the confines of the shed. So very cautiously he began to crack the door open just as an unware sound-nin walked by.

With a swift and slender movement Shunya swung behind the sound-nin and snatched onto his arm. Easily snapping the arm up and slamming the man down into the pavement with his elbow instantly crushing his skull, he quickly jumped off of him towards an approaching handful of other sound-nin. His first flying kick landed into the side of the face of one of them causing the guy's eyes to roll back into his head. Shunya then dropped to the ground leg sweeping another one off the ground before quickly flipping over an jamming his heel into him. A hefty shinobi came surging forward with his kunai pointed out but Shunya simply side-stepped it and latched a tight grip onto the guy's wrist. Still holding onto his wrist, Shunya jumped over the hefty shinobi lifting him off the ground as he flinging him effortlessly towards the final attacking sound-nin. The hefty one crashed down onto the much smaller shinobi causing them both to slap onto the ground. Without wasting a moment Shunya instantly dashed above them simultaneously smashing a deadly knee into the stomach of the big sound-nin and a rock hard fist into the face of the other. Finally finished in what was just a matter of seconds, Shunya dusted his hands off and continued on.

* * *

The man know as Akira was hiding out behind a large crate while he surveyed a wide room filled with about fourteen or fifteen sound-nin. His hair was tied up and was also dressed in standard anbu uniform. The mask bore a slight snout, similar to a deer's, and had black marks that streaked down the top of the mask to the end of the snout.

It was a slightly large room with only one wide entrance in and out of it. A couple of light fixtures hung from the ceiling by cords swinging somewhat back and forth. Laid about the room were several other crates stacked up everywhere and a large table was sitting square in the middle of the room covered with hoards of all sorts of papers and scrolls. The sound-nin were busy sorting everything as they loaded them up into the crates laid out about the place. But Akira's focus was not on all the bustling sound-nin. His focus was gathered on a particular set of scrolls that stood out more than all the others. They were held firmly shut only by a simple yet complicated looking paper seal.

"Let's finish this up," Akira quietly muttered to himself as he formed the rat hand seal.

All of a sudden the busy sound-nin all came to a sudden halt. Looks of confusion shot across their faces as the eyes darted from comrade to comrade and around the surrounding area.

"What the..hell is going on?" one of them shouted.

"We have an intruder," another twitched.

"We gotta do some…guh," someone said as he started gasping for air.

Almostly instantly as they had been captured did a shadow of a hand surge up each one of them latching onto their necks. Every single one of them struggled to break free but it was no use. Soon all of them were released from the technique as they let out their last breaths of air and fell quickly to the floor. Akira slowly rose from his hiding spot to see his three other teammates already standing in the doorway.

"That was a success I would have to say," Akira complimented, "And I assume everyone else is taken care of."

"There is no one left alive in this place," Kiyoto responded.

"And this is what we came for right Tenzou-taicho," Akira walked towards the table and picked up one of the scrolls that had caught his eye earlier.

"Hai," he confirmed, "But we should be careful with it. No telling what would happen if it gets tampered in any possible way. We will take them back to Konoha as Naruto-sama instructed us."

"I'm sure Naruto-kun will like to hear that our first mission as a squad was a success," Shunya chirped in.

"Well let's get going," Tenzou ordered.

* * *

"You're picking this up quicker than I did. Heh you basically already got it down," Yasu spoke aloud.

A smirking Naruto stood a few feet away from him. His face was beading with sweat and was panting moderately. All around them were busted up trees and soft earth. Water glistened the trees like a morning dew and gentle drops fell from broken limbs onto the ground and deracinated roots. Both of them stood on top of a stolid sleeping pond that had embraced their presence.

"This technique took me months to even get the hang of it but you got this down in only a few days. You are an amazing shinobi Naruto," Yasu complimented.

"He-he piece of cake," Naruto beamed, "But don't count yourself out. You're a pretty good teacher."

"Yeah a teacher who isn't need anymore."

"A little more practice for me and it'll be like second nature to me," Naruto paused, "Thanks for showing me this technique. It means a lot to have something that came from my mom."

"She would want you to know this technique. It is a very special technique that was only taught to very few in the whirlpool country and it is a given birthright to you Naruto to know it as well…I know she would be so proud of the person you've become," Yasu added.

"I know…Her and my father both. I know they're watching over me," Naruto's smile grew, "But hey even if I am getting this doesn't mean you have to stop being by teacher. I'm sure there are a couple more things you could teach me."

"Then let's keep at. Heh while we're at it we can even put in a little sparring match. What do you say?"

"I say let's get to it," Naruto smiled as he took a fighting stance on the water.

"Don't hold back on me now."

* * *

"So we are only a few more days away right?" Kankuro asked.

"Yeah not much further now," the Mizukage answered.

"Hmm," he sighed.

It had been about a week since the meeting at the Kage tower and the army of Gaara and Harou were trekking their way across the wilderness towards Kumogakure. They had first met up on the shorelines of Kaminari no Kuni several days after each respective group left their own villages. Now they were only a day or two out of Kumogakure.

The place was filled with hundreds of tents filled with many upon many shinobi. Some got their amount of rest while some others had a hard time sleeping as they all thought about the big attack. Gaara, Kankuro, and Harou, who were all around a small campfire, got the least amount of sleep compared to the rest. Their minds were too alert for them to be able to even get an ounce of sleep. This was going to be big for them and it could either pull the war to their advantage or break them and spell the end for everything.

"Hopefully we won't be seen out here in the open," Kankuro commented.

"We have a few shinobi out of the camp on lookout and a couple others maintaining a barrier around us to keep the place hidden with genjutsu," Gaara reassured him, "So to anyone passing by they will only see what would be plain old trees."

He tossed a couple of pieces of wood into the fire, "Hey so what's the story behind Nozomu. I haven't heard much about him except that he just recently became the new Raikage two years ago."

"It was really just coinciding ideals that helped get him the opportunity to take over. Being the son of a local daimyo Nozomu was already placed in a spot to attain power. His father was a former shinobi so he quickly put him into the ninja academy in Kumogakure. He quickly excelled through the ranks reaching jounin at the age of fifteen," Harou went on with the story, "After time he started delving into the politics of Kaminari no Kuni and eventually became part of a group daimyos lead by his father whose goals were to eliminate the current Raikage and head daimyo."

"What for?" Kankuro asked.

"Remember Kankuro that we had met the previous Raikage," Gaara added.

"Yeah I remember."

"Well the Raikage and head daimyo were on very good terms with most of the major countries like us and Konohagakure. But many daimyos were jealous of others who had more power and despised the allied countries so they formed a group to overthrow the current power so they could gain control of the country."

"And Nozomu was the exact person that they needed to get the job done. Being raised by a corrupt daimyo Nozomu naturally grew disdain for the current people in control and being the type that had a constant craving power added on to it as well," Harou continued, "So with his unique abilities and strong leadership skills they were able to gather many followers in secret for their cause. So with time and a little luck things managed to turn to their side thanks to the then situation created by Akatsuki and the death of the Raikage's brother, the Hachibi."

"So Nozomu took advantage after the whole Akatsuki thing while the country was recovering from losing jinchuuriki as well as strong comrades," Kankuro sighed tossing more wood into the fire.

"Precisely. About a year after Akatsuki had been eliminated Nozomu led a coup d'état that resulted in the death of the head daimyo, the allied daimyos, and the Raikage. Nozomu was soon after established as the new Raikage and his father the head daimyo."

"Why didn't any of the major shinobi countries do anything about it? I mean did we even know what was going on?" Kankuro asked.

"All of us were aware of some kind of internal conflict but beside the fact that most countries learned of what happened after we really are not in the position to interfere with a countries own affairs," Gaara answered, "It is only proper to not mess with things where we have no right to be involved."

"But we are dealing with him now when something could have been done then right?," Kankuro protested.

"It's true that we are now but back then if a country tried to act it could have caused political turmoil and there could have had been a potential war on that country's hands. It's foolish to think that it would have been smart to do something when no current acts of war were brought upon another country. A country's main priority is to care for their people not to cause anything that is unnecessary and potentially destructive to one's own country and people."

"I think I understand a little," Kankuro hung his head down a bit.

"Well there is something else that even fewer people know about that happened," Harou jumped back in.

"There's more?" Kankuro looked up at him.

"Soon after Nozomu become Raikage he furthered his position of power by murdering his own father."

"He…killed his own father," Kankuro was taken aback, "So in a sense he inherited his father's position which means if we eliminate him we eliminate the head daimyo. But wait weren't the other daimyos concerned by this?"

"The new daimyos in power did indeed respect his father but they feared Nozomu even more. Either way it was even more beneficial to them because Nozomu focused most of his time to his position as Raikage which gave the daiymos free reign and more power. It was a win-win for all of them."

"So we really are dealing with a cold and heartless person here," Kankuro said to himself.

"Now don't get the wrong idea Kankuro-san," Harou responded to his comment, "He may be those things but he will put all his might into defending his country and its people. He is a powerful ruthless tyrant but what good is a tyrant without people to have control over. It is a twisted fashion of selflessly defending his people but he will protect them till the end nonetheless. But with that in mind there is also something in this country that is to our advantage."

"And what is that?" Kankuro said.

"There are people that still hold an allegiance to the former Raikage and head daimyo that will fight by our side," Gaara quickly answered him.

"And now that time has come where they will no longer have to live in fear of their own leader," Harou said coolly, "By seeing the few of them that will stand up by our side will set an example to the rest that they all can make a difference by fighting for what they believe in."

"There is no telling if we will even succeed in stopping him," Kankuro sounded worried.

"As long as we give it our best we will leave nothing to question on the battlefield," Gaara looked up at the now dawning sky, "We will risk everything to succeed…and I guarantee you Kankuro that I will not let him go unpunished for what he has done to our village."

Kankuro nodded his head firmly as his worries were washed away by Gaara's firm eyes. The time was approaching as the sun slowly rose higher and higher. They would soon began there march to Kumogakure. A march to what will be most of their biggest battles they would ever be a part of. Kankuro surveyed the camp seeing his comrades emerging fromt their tents. The serious looks on each one of them warmed Kankuro's heart. He was proud to go into battle with so many courageous people. So many people willing to give it everything they have for what they believed in. A flat smirk grew on his face as he continued looking on at everyone.

"So you remember the main points of the strategy we talked about right Kankuro-san?" Harou asked as he and Gaara stood up.

"Yeah me an Gaara will head a frontal assault on Kumogakure getting the attention of most of their shinobi and work our way to the Raikage's administration building that is on the highest peak inside the village while you lead a faction through the lower mountain ranges in and around the village as you likewise take a different route to the administration building. This way it will probably cause their forces to spread out to account for ya'll who appear to be trying to take a easier more quiet path to the Raikage which will give us a better window to get to him," Kankuro answered sternly.

"Hai. So then let's round everybody up and get going. We have an important task at hands."

* * *

"Is Sasuke actually serious about these guys?" Suigetsu pointed at a group of cloaked people that were receiving orders from Sasuke, "What is the point of sending several expert assassins to go after one person that is heavily protected? Is he really that dumb?"

"Shut up Suigetsu," Karin snapped, "I'm sure Sasuke-kun knows what he is doing. So what if Naruto is safely guarded it still doesn't mean they can't get to him, especially since he won't even be expecting it. And besides like you say they are experts. They are even from the Black Assassin's Society at that."

"Pfff," Suigetsu puffed.

Sasuke rose from his seat that was a few feet away from them, "Return his head to me and I will greatly reward each and every one of you," his voice echoed.

The one at the very front nodded his head in confirmation as all of them dashed out of sight. With his business finished Sasuke began to slowly walk towards the direction of Karin and Suigetsu. As he slowly made his way past them he noticed that Suigetsu had a perplexed and angry look on his face.

"Is there something on your mind Suigetsu?" Sasuke came to a stop right next to him.

"Do you actually think that those guys can succeed?"

"No," Sasuke flatly answered him.

"Then why spend all the money to even hire them. It's just a waste," Suigetsu contested him.

"Suigetsu don't question what Sasuke-kun is doing," Karin barked.

Sasuke raised a hand to Karin, "It's fine. I would rather have everyone speak honestly than be silent."

"See Karin I can say what I want so shut your annoying trap," Suigetsu chuckled, "So Sasuke? Why bother?"

"To humor myself," Sasuke flatly said, "And maybe put a little fear in him."

"That's it?"

"That's it," Sasuke nodded as he started to walk away.

"Ha well then I guess it's alright then," Suigetsu huffed, "It would be kinda nice to have the little blondie fearing for his safety. That would surely throw him off his game."

"Now that we cleared that up let's get back to what's next on the agenda," Sasuke commanded.

"Hai!" they both responded.

* * *

A fatigued Naruto danced around his private training field as he worked himself to the bone. It was his normal routine after the daily tolls of being Hokage to take some alone time honing his skills. Aside from the times he spends with Hinata, this was his other way of finding an escape from everything that ran through his mind. This was what helped him keep some kind of inner peace.

As he commenced with some kunai throwing the presence of another person made Naruto halt his training. He turned his head to see Anko leaning against a tree chowing down on some dangos.

"I see your still as active as ever," Anko commented before taking another bite of her favorite food.

"And I see that you still gobble down those treats," Naruto hurled his last kunai at a nearby target, "So did you look over the intel that Yamato and the guys obtained?"

"Of course I did that's why I'm here."

"What are your thoughts? Does the information look legit?" Naruto asked her.

"From the looks of it all the secret documents they obtained are real. It took the code breakers quite some time to break the seals and decipher them but they're finished with all of them now. Some of Sasuke's hideouts have already been confirmed by the Anbu squads I sent out on reconaissance…So what do you want us to do from here?"

"Well I would expect that Sasuke will learn that we've discovered the whereabouts of some of his hideouts so send out whatever Anbu squads you can spare and relay to the others that are already out there to thoroughly search the locations for any information possible that they can gather before Sasuke does away with it."

"Done," Anko finished her dangos, "And what will you have Yamato's squad do next?"

"They should be in Oto no Kuni by now gathering any information they can on his current location and his next plan of action. I need to pick up some kind of trail to go along with. Anything at all right now no matter how small will help."

"Hmm indeed…Well I'll leave you to your training then and get started right away," Anko disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto turned and made his way to the last target he had hit. He latched onto the single kunai and with a swift jerk he pulled it out. He spent a moment examining the simple toll before launching it straight up into the fading night sky. After a few seconds it came zooming back down and just before it hit the ground Naruto caught it with the a single finger right through the loop at the end of the weapon. He gave it a few spins before sliding it into his weapon pouch on his back waist. Taking a deep sigh Naruto decided to cut his training short and call it a day.

Before leaving the grounds Naruto looked off into the direction of where Oto no Kuni was giving out another deep sigh, "I'm ready when you are Sasuke."

* * *

Dawn was breaking upon the waking village of Kumogakure. It was a beautiful and peaceful looking village that was spread out through the high mountain tops and low valleys. The village fit its name perfectly as the many clouds blanketed the lands like a warm and snug blanket. It was a pretty large village covered with all sorts of buildings that bore similar architecture to Konoha with slight varitions to adjust to the rigors of high elevations and unsturdy grounds. All around everyone arose to their daily routines little aware of what was about to happen.

Off in the outskirts of the village hourds of mist and sand-nin gathered into their respective factions ready to commence their attack. Some of them were experienced in the arts of war while others would get their first taste of a battle of such high magnitude, but regardless everyone was more than ready.

"So this is it guys," Harou said to Gaara and Kankuro, "It's all or nothing."

"Everyone good to go," Kankuro shouted out to everybody who nodded their heads in confirmation, "Ready Gaara?"

Gaara firmly confirmed, "Let's do this for every innocent life that has been taken."

"For every fallen comrade," Kankuro added on.

"For everyone that believes in what we are fighting for," Harou included.

"We will stand until the very end," Gaara concluded, "We will not fail."

"Everyone move out!" both kages roared as one faction went surging head on towards the forefront of the village while the other faction bursted down into the lower parts of the mountains. A lethal storm was on its way.

* * *

_I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. The next few ones will be a whole lot more eventful an action packed with the major battles that is coming up. I know I'm going to enjoy writing them. There will sure to be some new OCs to come in the following chapters. Oh an don't forget to drop some reviews. I love me some feedback._


	18. Chapter 18: The Standoff

_here you go. This chapter will introduce some new characters and some familiar faces, some well known ones and not so well known. so please enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 18: The Standoff

A squad of cloud-nin ventured their way across bridges and walkways as they made their exit out of their village. They had been assigned a simple routine mission which they wanted to finish as quickly as possible. All of them, however tired of the same old missions, were especially eager this time around because soon after they would get the chance to get a piece of the real action going on in the war. The thirst of battle hung from their tongues and they all felt more than ready to cut down a few enemy shinobi.

As they neared the end of the village the eager squad decided to do a quick equipment check before they left. Being the cautious ones that they were they did not want to run the risk of running out of the necessary equipment that they needed. They emptied out their equipment pouches and backpacks and counted up the few scrolls they had along with, shurikens, kunais, smoke bombs, and feets of wire. After counting up their stuff and seeing everything was in order, the squad returned everything back into their pouches and backpacks in a nice and neat fashion. Gathering themselves they continued their walk out of the village biding farewell to the entrance guards.

The leader of the squad turned back to his team and said, "Alright guys lets finish this quick so Nozomu-dono will finally give us a taste of the real action."

"Hai!" the other three happily responded.

Making their way through an open mountain pass just outside the village, the leader suddenly noticed a difference in scenary ahead of them. Raising a hand to halt his teammates the leader looked forward with his stern small squinting eyes. Surveying what was rushing at them like a deadly storm with exuberant speed the squad suddenly had a feeling of shock run over them.

"ALERT THE VILLAGE! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!…," the leader was able to yell out before a zooming kunai came barreling into his throat.

The other three shinobi quickly rushed off back to the entrance of the village they just journeyed out of. Sparks of pain ran through them as several more of the kunais zipping toward them found a nesting place in each of their backsides. Blood splattered to the ground displaying their short hurried trek to the entrance of the village. The guards turned their heads up to the incessant shouts of their comrades as they came into the village. All of them collapsed to the ground as several of the shinobi on guard rushed to their side. One guard slid over to a fallen comrade and crouched down so he could hear them more clearly.

"Suna…gakure…," the gasping shinobi was able to get out before passing away.

The guard quickly jumped up as he hurriedly shouted out commands, "Someone needs to report to Nozomu-dono that Sunagakure is attacking! Everyone else stand your ground and take down as many as you can!"

A couple of them nodded and dashed off just as the huge swarm of sand-nin came charging in. The sounds of kunais striking each other rang through the air as sand-nin came swooping in. All the guards were quickly met with a foe while the other enemies went rushing into the village in every which direction. Many nearby cloud-nin swiftly performed hand seals as they lauched surges of lightning that bolted across the ground to disrupt the invaders. The sand-nin subsequently responded with jutsus of their own resulting with walls of earth rising from the ground to ward of the electrical strikes and others firing back all sorts of wind, fire, and water jutsus. Many jutsu attacks hit their targets while others were just repelled by another jutsu.

During the mass swarm of fights at the entrance Gaara, Kankuro, and a few sand-nin had made their way in making their way past and deeper into the village where explosions and sounds of more fighting were erupting. They ran up rocky paths and down smooth streetways taking out anyone who tried to stop them from their destination. Their path led them from the outskirts of the village to a vast valley that was the heart of the village blanketed with clouds. The architecture was similar to that of Konohagakure but with the added addition of many houses and buildings bearing several lighning rods so they could fully harness the powers of lightning. The size of Kumogakure could trump Sunagakure but lacked size compared to Konohagakure, yet despite that they still had a population that was just about the same as Konohagakure if not a slightly larger one. It was host to very beautiful scenaries, a place that had many advances in natural energy sources, and a vastly diverse population that only enticed more to move to such a welcoming village. Now it would bear witness to the sights and sounds of war.

After surveying the mass of the village and seeing where their final destination would be at, Gaara summoned his group forward. They rushed down through some clouds and rising black smoke into a middle-class residential area of the village. A team of cloud-nin quickly noticed Gaara's group running through the soft paths between the homes urging them to reach in their packs and pull out a handful of kunais with explosive tags tied at the ends of them and launched them at the enemy group. Before anyone could notice, a house next to Gaara and his group exploded releasing shards of wood, stone, and metal. Without hesitation Gaara's used his sand to shield the group from the large amount of flying debris. The cloud-nin that had tossed the explosive weapons suddenly appeared behind the group as they succesfully landed a deadly strike on one of the sand-nin before hardened spikes of Gaara's sand blasted out of his shield impaling the attackers. Another explosion went of near them launching more debris causing Gaara to extend his shield to further protect them and again more cloud-nin showed up as they squared up against the defending sand-nin. Gaara quickly dispatched them but not before more of his squad was injured. Seeing that some of them were severly hurt Gaara knew they needed to take a moment of reprive before continuing on.

"Quickly into that house," Gaara ordered everyone to a nearby house that appeared to be vacant.

They ran into the house picking up their injured comrades along the way. Barricading the front door and covering up the windows in the living room the group situated themselves in the temporary shelter. Gaara then told the medic-nins of the group to heal the injured as best as they can before they continued on. He then made his way to an uncovered window near the barricaded front door and cut a small hole out with a kunai. He then performed a series of hand seals before placing some fingers over one of his eyes. It resulted in some of his sand swarming together to from an eyeball which zoomed its way out the hole in the window.

"I'll keep an eye on the area and look for the best path we should take while everyone gets healed up," Gaara told them.

Kankuro moved next to Gaara and and spoke softly to him, "Gaara you know we don't have much time to spare. It won't be that long until they find us here and at that some of these guys injuries are too serious and will take some time to fix up."

"I understand that Kankuro but it's the best we can do at the moment. Let's give them a moment of rest. Some of them won't be able to continue on with us so when I figure out what course we are going to take then we will move along with whoever is still capable of fighting while we leave a medic here to heal the rest," Gaara explained to him.

"Alright," Kankuro assessed Gaara's response.

"Just sit tight and be ready."

* * *

The humble Raikage sat quietly as he listened to the explosions of destruction reverberating outside. He was nestled in his fancy throne-like chair that was resting in a conference room. His stern and placid face rested in one hand while he twiddled the fingers of the other as he eyed a couple of his advisors who were pleading for him to seek refuge.

"Raikage-dono we should leave now!" one of them pleaded, "It is not safe here. Let's us move to the safe zone and further decide on the next course of action."

Nozomu's only response was a cold blank stare as the advisors begged as well as argued amongst themselves. Slowly he took his gaze off them and shifted it to a very somber man that was standing next to his seat. He was a young looking man with short golden hair save for his long side-swept bangs that hung down above his eyes. His dark eyes were covered with a pair of stylish shades and he was dressed in a tight fitting dark blue long sleeve shirt that contoured to his defined muscles along with a pair of black pants that were loose fitting but not so much to where it would hinder movement. Slung over his back was a menacing sheathed sword. Despite the man's serious overtone he appeared to be enjoying the spectacle more than the Raikage.

"What do you think Arashi?" the Raikage asked him as the two arguing advisors continued on.

"I think they're fools niisama. Why would they even think that you would leave the village in such a cowardly fashion," he said in a soft yet abrasive tone.

"I agree otouto," the Raikage slammed his hands on the armrest, "Now listen you two quarreling worms, I will not leave here!"

"But Raikage-do…," they both said before being cut off by the wave of his hand.

"This is my village and I won't have any unwelcomed guests scare me away. This is what we are going to do," he stood up and directed them to the map of Kumogakure that was laid out on the table in front of him, "These areas right here are where the blunt of their forces are coming from making it plainly obvious that the target destination is where we are. It's very bold of them to try a frontal attack like this but the heart of the village is widely spread out which works to our advantage. Our forces will easily separate them thinly throught the area as they press on. So while that happens I want to have our most skill shinobi assembled in a few key places that will cause them to be driven back and barricade the ones who have gotten deeper into the village. This should send them into a confused frenzy."

"What about the reports of the Kazekage being spotted inside the village? What do you want to do about him?"

"Heh send Team Lightning to take care of them. I'm sure they will have their hands full with those three," he chuckled as he waved them away, "Now go do as I say and leave me be."

Both of the frantic advisors quickly bowed and left the room. Nozomu then casually walked over to a nearby window and looked upon the turmoil that was going on in the distance. Some would feel grave distress in situations like this but what was happening excited the thrill seeking Nozomu. This was his cup of tea and he was glad that an attack was happening to his village much sooner than he thought it would have been. His boredom was answered with this sudden strike and Nozomu could not contain the devilish smile forming on his face.

"So do you want me to shadow them?" Arashi jumped into Nozomu's inner joy.

"Yeah keep a close eye on them but don't make a move unless they manage to get by Team Lightning…I really want to see if the kid can actually make it here to face me again."  


* * *

As battles raged inside the village the unopposed forces of the mist were making their way quietly outside the edges of the village to their destination. They trekked across the lower river paths and up towards the higher valleys that would lead into the now least likely guarded places of Kumogakure. Everyone picked up their pace as they listened to the many booms and blasts of the fighting getting closer and closer.

The core group that headed in with Harou came bustling onto a high enough mountain peak that surveyed over part of the destruction happening in the village. It was a good place to have a public showing of war at somewhat safe distances. The ever rising smoke stacks that rose from the village smothered the bright blue sky that watched over them. Flames danced elegantly as they stood watching for a moment on the wide and jagged overhang. It would soon be something that they would join in on.

"Hey you're blocking my view," a sudden sharp voice arose out of nowhere

The whole group, except Harou, jumped around to see where the unexpected voice had come from. Their sights fell onto an innocent bystander that was nonchalantly hanging out on a nearby boulder. The blue skinned man smoothly slid off onto the ground and began a slow approach to all the wide eyed shinobi. His beady eyes and shark-toothed smile kept them frozen in place with shock by the unforeseen encounter of such a person in a place such as this. Completely ignoring the others the shark man approached the side of the unmoving Harou as he dusted off his black and red cloak.

"Nice view eh Harou-kun," Kisame commented, "I do have to say it is an enjoying sight to see wouldn't you say?"

Harou stood still and silent.

"The silent treatment huh?" he laughed, "Where is the fighting spirit? You don't expect to be going down there with that attitude and expect to win. You should know better than that Harou-kun."

"Silence yourself Hoshigaki," Harou softly spoke, "I don't know what it is you're doing here but I never thought it would be here of all places that I would see your traitorous face again. Why would you be in Kumogakure?"

"Don't worry I'm not helping out Kumogakure or anything if that is what you're thinking. I've just been here watching the show. It's been pretty wonderful so far but this surprise encounter has sparked my excitement even more," Kisame placed his hand on Harou's shoulder, "What do you say we have a go for old times sake?"

"I don't have time to mess with you," Harou slapped Kisame's hand off him, "We have more pressing matters to handle with than deal with a traitor such as yourself. My personal vendetta is of no importance compared to what's at stake here."

"Aw c'mon my old friend don't you wanna stay and play for awhile," Kisame sarcastically pleaded, "I was told to only be an observer through all this stuff but watching all this destruction has gotten me hungry for a fight and fate would have it that you would cross my path."

"I don't care how you feel. We're continuing on," Harou montioned to his group to move out.

Without any hesitation Kisame lifted his bandaged sword off his back and charged towards Harou who was walking away with the rest. Harou swiftly unlatched his jagged blade from his side and blocked the strike. The excited look in Kisame's eyes were met with a cold and livid stare, as he fully knew this major annoyance would not let him be and was jeopardizing the situatoin. Then in a quick response several of Harou's fellow shinobi charged from several directions only to be easily kicked away by Kisame's powerful legs as he still held his position on Harou. Harou pushed Kisame off and raised his hands to his comrades that were getting back up to try another strike.

"Stop! Don't waste your energy on him," he commanded, "You are all needed elsewhere. We've fallen behind the rest so just continue on the mission. Seeing as he won't let me go I'll handle things here."

Somewhat hesitantly the shinobi lingered for a moment unsure if leaving their leader was the best thing to do. On one hand they knew that he was being forced into a fight he could not avoid and the other was that they felt they would need him greatly for this epic battle in Kumogakure. Harou stood firm his hand clenching tightly to his sword as he took a last glance at his men as if to say that he trusted them all to get the job done even with him being held up. His firm eyes sprouted a newfound confidence in them and so they dashed off to their destinations. Harou then turned his attention back to a grinning Kisame.

"That's more like it, you and me one-on-one. I can just see the fire blazing in your eyes."

"I'm going to end you quickly Hoshigaki and rejoin my comrades where I belong," he affirmed as he took his battle stance.  


* * *

Gaara's group darted across the inner workings of the shopping district. They jumped over charred debris and passed through half demolished buildings as they continued their way to the Raikage's administration building. As luck would have it they had encountered very few enemies along the way thanks to the majority of them being tied up with their fellow sand-nin. It was thanks to this that they were able to manuver so quickly through the village.

Gaara stood in the middle of the group while Kankuro led the way waving directions around each bend and corner that they needed to take. What seemed like a timeless winding trip through a maze of destruction was only trailing by in a matter of minutes. The path finally led into what looked to be the main square of commerce in the town. There was little damage to the area so far so the place still held its beauty. Rows upon rows of booths ran along the square filled with edible items, novelty products, game booths, nifty gadgets, household appliances, etc. It was an extravagant festival of sorts packed into a now deserted place. Smack dab in the center of the square was a marble fountain that was a statue of the Raikage. His open embracing hands had a gentle flow of water streaming down them into the small pool at the bottom. It was as if he was not offering a comforting welcome but an open challenge to anybody who would contest his power.

After gathering a good view of the place, Gaara and the rest proceeded to continue on their path. Just as they took a few steps forward several kunais, with explosive tags latched onto them, planted into the pavement around them. With not much time to react the tagged kunais released their destructive power causing chunks of concrete, stone, and wood to dart of in every which direction. The sounds of impaling objects and agony shuddered in the heavy smoke of the debris and was then followed by soft thuds hitting the ground. The smoke slowly cleared releaving a well-sized dome of sand and a handful of lifeless sand-nin. Gaara released the hard sand dome that receded back into his gourd. He looked over the remaining people that he kept safe and held a inner mourning for the ones he could save. His gaze then met with Kankuro as they both knew that more enemies had discovered them. Both of their heads, as well as the other sand-nin, darted from spot to spot trying to uncover the culprits on hand.

"Over here," a burly voice echoed out.

Everyone turned their attention to the Raikage statue that was still standing firm inside the square, despite that newly made cracks running along it. Standing there very serenely were three confident looking cloud-nin holding bright grins on their faces. The one on the right appeared to be the youngest of the three. She was a radiant beauty with soft creamy skin and intense black eyes that could pierce one's soul. A pair of lip piercings shined brightly under the midday sun and her headband hung loosely around her neck. Her dark purple hair was tied back into a ponytail leaving a few locks free to dangle over her face. The tight fitting black pants and white vest, that showed off her midriff and looked as if it could barely conceal her rather large bustline, flaunted off her slender figure. She also sported some fishnet arm warmers that only furthered her sleek style. There was also a belt that hung off her waist at an angle that displayed several scrolls and a weapons pouch attached to it.

The quiet male of the left looked to be the most laid back. His short spiky silver hair drew little attention away from his deep dark blue eyes, shiny headband around his head, and perfectly formed face. He wore a set of black fingerless gloves and had an armguard on his right arm. The navy blue short sleeve jacket showcased a set of buckles instead of a zipper. It was opened freely revealing a black shirt that was fit snuggly under it. A pair of matching shorts hung slightly past his knees. Each leg had a respective weapons case wrapped on each side, the right being a case for shurikens and the other displaying a sheathed dagger. His attire was finished off with a set of bandages wrapped around the rest of his legs from his knees down to his shinobi shoes. The man's well toned body and pale skin even added more onto his majestic standing.

The final one of the three, who was obviously the oldest and the leader of the three, stood proudly in the middle. He had silky sable hair styled into a fauxhawk, deadly brown eyes that killed on sight, and evenly tanned skin. The leader wore his headband in the same fashion as the other male. He wore a simple short sleeve black jacket that was zipped right up to the creases of his defined chest and some black pants that had several loops running down the side each fitted with a kunai. There was a large equipment pouch that hung off his back waist and a pair of omnious butterfly swords were strapped onto his back. A tribal designed tattoo ran along his right arm from his shoulder down to his elbow. He was a powerfully built person and it only fueled his foreboding persona.

"Unfortunately for you guys," the burly voice, which belonged to the man in the middle, said, "Raikage-dono sent us on an important mission to intervene on the Kazekage's group…We are Team Lightning. I am Hayao."

"Name's Kuuya," the laid back guy gently spoke.

"And I'm Kimiko," the sultry female followed suit.

"Ha lucky for us," Kankuro sarcastically huffed.

Gaara waved his hands to his remaining group to split off to his right and left flanks to even them out better against the three attackers. Kankuro stepped over to Gaara's backside as he placed his hands on one of four scrolls he had located on his back. As everyone prepared to attack Team Lightning another unprepared occurrence happened as a large flash bomb landed between the two groups. A flash of bright light blinded them as it went off letting neither of the groups see what was going to appear next. Then as the light started to fade Gaara, as well as the rest of the group, could make out the shapes of another set of three figures that had arrived on the scene. His eyes slightly widened as he began to recognize the three newcomers.

"You're…," he started to speak as he addressed all three.

"Yo what's up Gaara-kun. Long time no see," a dark-skinned male slightly slurred as he sucked on a lolipop, "Team Samui is here to lend a hand."

"You got that right Omoi," Karui agreed.

"Stay focused you two," Samui ordered, "We can't forget that Team Lightning is no push-over."

"This means that the renegade cloud are here with you guys," Gaara stated as a fact rather than a question.

"That's right," Samui responded, "Now is the time we give this village back its honor and respect that these lowlifes took away."

"Just leave these guys to us," Omoi smirked, "Go take care of Tobikuma Nozomu."

"Arigato," Gaara smiled.

"Thank us after this is all over," Karui looked back at them.

Gaara, Kankuro, and the rest nodded their heads and quickly rushed off.

"Hmm it looks as if we have ourselves a little standoff here. Feels like olds time huh," Hayao shrugged, "Alright then shall we have at it?"

"Yeah let's go," Omoi was the first to step forward, "This is for the man who was our true and rightful Raikage."

* * *

_I had fun writing this chapter. I usually have a hard time making new characters but they seemed to roll of my mind pretty easily this time. Getting better as I go along. I'm off to write the next chapter which I will have up as soon as I can._


	19. Chapter 19: Infiltration

Chapter 19: Infiltration

Naruto strolled down a long and dusty dirt trail back to his quiet village. The evergreen forest surrounded him like a mother protecting her young. Waiting to hear any word of what was going off with his allies endeavors were taking a toll on him. And with there being no work to do for the Hokage, he could only spend the time wandering around off in what seemed like an endless daydream. He kicked clumps of dirt across the path breaking them into pieces.

"I can't take it anymore," Naruto mumbled to himself, "Waiting for any kind of update is wearing me out just thinking about it. I need something to do."

Then like a light bulb slowy flickering on Naruto remembered the perfect thing to ease his mind and enjoy what he could of the day.

"Why didn't I think of that before?! I'll just go see if Hinata…"

Before being able to finish his own sentence a dark figure came swooping in out of the surrounding woods. A flashing sword came slashing through the air at Naruto as the intruder came sliding across the dirt path. He composedly jumped away from the strike while he whipped a kunai out of his pouch and hurled it towards the hooded attacker. The attacker knocked it down easily with a swing of their sword and charged towards Naruto. Their sword danced through the air while Naruto dodged each and every attack.

"What the…," Naruto's gaze shifted slightly behind him as another hooded attacker appeared behind him launching a sword attack of their own.

The sharp blade barreled into Naruto's back but proved useless as a puff of smoke erupted revealing a simple tree log. The second attacker yanked their sword from the log and looked at their fellow fighter who pointed above them. With his fist clenched back to strike Naruto came flying from above down onto the two assailants; however, before he could reach them another pair of attackers came leaping out of the trees toward him.

"Damn I don't think I have enough time to dodge," he said forming his trademark handseal, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke created an identical Naruto below the original. The original Naruto quickly placed his hands on the shoulders of his copy and pushed himself up higher to the air to avoid the two newcomers. Their readied weapons dug into the copy causing it to disappear while Naruto spun through the air away from them.

"You gotta be kidding me!" his gaze met yet another hooded attacker as they came flying towards him as he began his descent to the ground.

As the distance quickly neared between the two, the similar opponent struck forward at Naruto with their sharp ninjato. Moving to dodge it in midair Naruto used the outstretched and wielded arm as leverage as he grabbed onto it flipping behind the hooded one and landing a spinning heel kick to the back of their head hurling them into the ground while Naruto landed on his feet with a hard thud a few yards away.

Reaching into his pouch like before he drew out another kunai ready to dispatch the rest of them. Warily scooting himself around, Naruto's widened and distraught eyes came upon an even bigger cluster of enemies than he had initially started with. Standing before him in a loose zig-zag like formation was a group of fourteen black hooded foes.

"Isn't this just great," Naruto growled, "…Wait where is the guy I just knocked down?"

Before he knew it the recent fighter Naruto had knocked into the ground flashed right behind him. A slender ninjato was held firmly up to the young blonde's neck.

"You're dead," a dark voice spoke behind Naruto.

A slight smirk raised from the corner of Naruto's lips, "You took too long!"

Then without warning Naruto grabbed onto the blade of the weapon, jerking it down as he gashed open his hand, and slammed the back of his head into the surprised opponent. As they staggered back, Naruto whipped around slashing his kunai deep into the person dispatching them as quickly as he would eat a bowl of ramen.

Not wasting another breath Naruto turned back to the group of enemies, charging and hurling his kunai at the closest one. A hooded fighter effortlessly dodged the kunai but received a deadly hit as Naruto buried a Rasengan into their another one down Naruto proceeded to finish of the rest.

Several of the hooded ones responded by launching smoke bombs onto the ground. The large veil of smoke blocked off Naruto's sight as it rose up around him. He readied a kunai in each hand and took a defensive stance for whatever came next. Then metal ricocheted off of each other as Naruto parried the zipping strikes that came at him through the smoke. Attack after attack was dealt to Naruto but he stood his ground as the pattern continued on for several minutes with only a few strikes landing a successful strike across his body.

"I can't work like this," Naruto darted his kunais into the ground and commenced a small sequence of hand signs, "Fuuton: Kibaku Kazejinpuu! (Winde Release: Exploding Wind Gust)"

A large burst of wind discharged out from Naruto that expelled the vexing smoke away. Now with a clear clarity of his surroundings Naruto leaned down and picked up his two kunai.

The hooded fighters were now formed in a circle with their unwavering target right in the center of it all. Each individual had their swords held out firmly in front of them as they assessed their next plan of action. Their faces were covered by the overcasting shadow of their hoods. No emotion could be seen or felt from them as Naruto turned a full circle looking for who would be first to commence the attack.

"Well come on with it already," Naruto egged them on.

One by one they charged at Naruto thrusting and slashing at him, moving in and out back to the circle. Some strikes landed but proved futile as Naruto overpowered them one after the other until there was only a single hooded opponent standing.

"Looks like it is just you and me now," Naruto motioned to the last, "Maybe you could consider giving up and come to Konoha for questioning?"

Not responding to Naruto the last attacker charged forward.

"Guess not huh," Naruto shrugged before hurling his two kunai at the oncoming enemy.

The hooded foe hit them away as they reached their vicinity. Then like a swift and sly fox Naruto kicked up a nearby ninjato of a fallen fighter and in an easy motion cut his last opponents wielded arm clean off and jammed the ninjato through their sternum and out the other side. Blood splattered onto Naruto's signature jacket and face as the last opponent's life came to a close. Naruto began to slide the sword out but to his surprise it was held in place as he noticed the icy tight grip of the attacker on his hand holding it in place. Then for the first time Naruto finally had a glimpse of an opponent's face. The dead and emotionless look in the man's eyes chilled Naruto to the bone. Never before had Naruto seen such a sinister look like this since Orochimaru. A setting of uncertainty rose on Naruto's brow as the man leaned in closer.

"…We won't be the last…," his dying voice whispered out maniacally.

Naruto quickly pushed the now dead body to the ground in a fury of confusion. A startled look rushed over his face as he wobbled backward. A small surge of fear and frustration mangled its way out from the recesses of his mind. Here he should feel at ease having dispatched the attackers after such an unexpected encounter but now Naruto couldn't explain this once dormant feeling he had. The look in his empty black eyes void of an emotion. The sound of his dark and dying voice. There was just something about it that fueled the fear and doubt of a person. Naruto pondered this all as he noticed the arrival of several others.

"You guys are too late," Naruto turned to face a handful of anbu members, Sai, Yamato, and Kakashi.

"Naruto-kun are you alright," Sai was the first to speak.

"Yeah I'm fine," Naruto dusted himself off, "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Please forgive us Naruto-sama," Yamato apologized, "We should have been here sooner."

"Aw don't worry about it. I was kinda in the need for something different," playing off what he was really feeling, "Waiting and wondering what's going on in Kumogakure is dragging on me."

"Still Naruto-kun it's unforgivable on our part," Kakashi retorted, "You are our Hokage and we need to protect you better than that. We will up security around the village especially when you're out and about."

"Yeah…well anyway let's clear these bodies up," Naruto directed everyone, "Get them to Shizune-neechan and gather an autoposy team to check these guys out. Maybe we can find out something about them."

Everyone followed Naruto's orders while he walked around examining his work. The several bodies lying around were now a bleak after image that seemed to have a lasting imprint on his mind. It settled as something unwelcome to Naruto's psyche. He continued to keep it at bay as he made a round-about when something new caught his gaze. Naruto kneeled down next to one of his defeated opponents and ran his finger along their exposed shoulder that depicted a black tattoo of a sleak skull with a katana stabbed right through it.

"This skull and katana tattoo is pretty interesting," Naruto commented.

"Naruto move!" Kakashi yelled as he hurled his body into Naruto.

The two of them went flying away while the others scattered in every direction. Both Kakashi and Naruto landed with a hard thud with the white haired shinobi covering his leader. What came next was a vast explosion. Debris and dust blew past the two of them in a raged furry. Naruto creeped open his shut eyes after a few seconds passed by to see a slightly scratched and battered up Kakashi standing over him.

"Kakashi-sensei what the hell was that!?" a stunned expression stretched on his face.

"That would be the Black Assassin's Society," he responded looking back to a now barren area, "Looks like this was worse than I originally thought."

"Kakashi-senpai should we send some teams out to see if anymore of them are around?" Yamato came running up along with Sai and the handful of anbu.

"No we should be fine now. By the looks of things they only sent low-ranking assassins that would probably have even a tough time taking down a jounin. This was probably a test for them."

"Well it looks like they almost had me taken care of if their bodies just randomly explode!" an irate Naruto jumped up, "I mean if you hadn't pushed me out of there Kakashi-sensei I could have been seriously hurt or worse. How is it that a dead person can just blow up like that!?"

"The tattoo you saw," Kakashi began to explain, "That is their insignia as well as a seal. In the event of a member's death the seal is released causing what we just experienced right now. It is their last offensive resort against eliminating a target and also their defense against any person wanting to get information from their body."

"And this Black Assassin's Society I assume are the best at what they do?" Naruto inquired further.

"Hai."

"Hmm then I guess next time they try to do something I'll be prepared," Naruto shrugged his shoulders and began walking to the village like nothing had just happened.

"Naruto-sama this is a serious matter," Kakashi said very sternly but the words were to no avail as Naruto was several yards away, "Everyone report back to your posts. I'll go talk to him.

Everyone nodded in unison and dispersed. A concerned Kakashi jogged off towards his former student who slowly trudged along. Placing his hand gently onto Naruto's shoulder he pulled him to a stop.

"Listen Naru…,"

"Onegai (please) Kakashi-sensei…wakarimasu (I understand)," he cut him off, "I know this is something to be taken seriously and I do. To be quite honest it makes me feel uneasy. I know during these kinds of times, especially a time of war, I'm always at a risk of being killed by the enemy and to actually experience something to this severity is completely different and new to me. It makes me fear for my life not just against our enemies but now I have assassins, very skilled at that, after me. I will have to constantly look over my back for the next person that wants to kill me. It's not something that sets well on my mind."

"Naruto you…"

"Let me finish," Naruto raised his hand cutting off Kakashi again, "Even though I feel like this I refuse to let it get the best of me. I'm the Hokage for crying out loud and it's my duty to stay strong for everyone. I know I have you guys there to support and encourage me when I'm overcome with doubt, or to have you protect me, so I'm never worried that I will faulter. I may be scared of what could happen but I will still stand firm against all enemies with my head held high and protect this village until the end. I carry the Will of Fire within me and I will never let it be extinguished."

A larger smirk grew under Kakashi's mask, "I'm very proud of you Naruto-kun. You have grown up so much…Ha it makes me wonder why you still have me around."

"Don't joke like that Kakashi-sensei what else would I do without my always-late-to-everything teacher around," Naruto bursted out in laughter, "But because of all of this it has got me thinking about something that I need to do."

"And what is that?" Kakashi inquired

"I'll tell you but keep it to yourself for now. I've kinda been thinking about it for awhile. This is what I'm going to do…"

* * *

"Go!" Omoi yelled being the first to charge, his sword held out straight at his side, towards Team Lightning.

His charge was quickly met by the seductive Kimiko as she jumped forward bracing Omoi's first strike with a kunai. Karui had followed right behind Omoi flipping over his backside and diving downwards with her respective sword. Kuuya rushed in between jerking his dagger from his leftside blocking off Karui's attempt. Then with a strong shove he began to push her towards a smirking Hayao. As she neared him, Hayao readied his fist to strike a battereing blow but in a swift action his swinging fist was abrutly stopped by the blocking palm of Samui.

"Now now it isn't very gentleman like to try to hit a lady," Samui calmly held his fist in place.

"It makes no difference to me if you're a male or female when it comes to these things," Hayao still held his smirk, "Either way whoever is in my way will die!"

Hayao swifly lurched back unsheathing his butterfly swords and came back with a cutting horizontal slash that dug through Samui's torse. Her body then dispersed into a lightning clone that consumed Hayao's sword just as he tossed them up out of his hands. Turning around he dodged several punches from an oncoming Samui before spinning around her to safely retain his swords. He followed with powerful vertical strikes that were met with a set of kunais. Despite her successful block Samui was still forced down to one knee by the sheer brute strength of Hayao.

As that went on Omoi and Karui still held firm their spots on their opponents. Each of them looked over and nodded their heads in acknowledgement of what they would do next.

"Switch!" they both shouted as they jumped over to change opponents.

Omoi didn't waste a moment as he swung his sword several times in fury at Kuuya pushing him back inch by inch. Karui feigned a strike at Kimiko and swung around to attack an unsuspecting Kuuya who was finally pushed into a close enough striking distance; however, Karui's attempt was easily foiled by the tightly gripped kunai of Kimiko as she hit Karui's sword down. Kimiko then followed through with a swinging kick that planted squarely into the left side of Karui's face sending her staggering backwards.

"Don't be so foul," Kimiko's voice resonated, "I'm your opponent now and no one else. So you have to get rid of me before you can even think to go after another person."

"Fine by me then," Karui wiped the blood that was sliding down from the left side of her lips, "I'll make it swift!"

Karui zipped forward as Kimiko performed a few hand signs.

"Raikou Kamikiri! (Rising Lightning Cutter)." Kimiko slammed her hand into the ground.

Suddenly a burst of lightning came surging out of the ground from in front of her towards the charging Karui. With a sly smile on her face, Karui beautifully spun to the side still swooping straight at Kimiko. Quickly she unlatched a scroll and opened it up summoning a giant shuriken. Taking a firm grip on the weapon she vigorously hurled it at Karui. Not having the time to slow down and dodge Karui did the next best thing and readied her sword to block it. A crashing clang rang out as the giant shuriken coiled into Karui's sword easily pushing her back. The ground slightly dug in from her sliding feet until, with all her might, Karui forced the giant shuriken to the sunken ground. Her moment of reprieve was shortly ended as Kimiko dashed behind her hooking both of Karui's arms. She instantly relinquished her sword when Kimiko released a barrage of knees into her back.

"Is this it?! You're pathetic!" Kimiko laughed loudly.

That was all it took for Karui as she surprisingly used her whole body to flip a latched on Kimiko slamming her into the ground. She released her grip and arched in pain from the sudden impact. Karui wasted no time to pick herself up and drill a deadly heel drop into Kimiko's stomach.

"Ah!" Kimiko lurched in agony.

"Looks like you're pretty pathetic. Lying here like this," Karui commented before following up with another heel drop.

The attack was foiled by a desperate block from the grounded Kimiko. She angrily looked up at the cold face of Karui, "I'll show you who is the pathetic one!"  


* * *

Gaara, Kankuro, and the rest of his group were still making their way through the inner parts of the village coming closer and closer to their final destination. Thanks to Team Samui they were able to make it as far as they have without losing energy or anyone left over from their group. Fights continued to break out around them as their comrades continued their push inwards. Things were still looking good from them. Gaara looked back to his brother to see a stern look on his face as if something was astray. Then with an unnoticed gaze he looked up to the rooftops of the buildings that were falling behind their unwavering speed.

"You've noticed it too Kankuro," Gaara looked back to the front.

"Hai, it only looks like there's one person following us though," Kankuro huffed, "There is no telling when they plan to strike but we can't afford to be stopped again."

"And I assume you want to take the person on by yourself. If we worked together we could…"

"No Gaara," Kankuro interrupted him, "I can handle it. I don't want you to use up anymore chakra than you have to and you need to have as many people as you can with you. You need to save it for the Raikage. Let me get rid of them…Besides I can always catch up as soon as I'm done."

"Don't go dying on me," Gaara spoke with concern.

"Shinpai shinaide (Don't worry). You keep yourself focused on the task at hand. I won't let you down," Kankuro smirked as he came to a halt while the others rushed on.

Reaching behind him Kankuro pulled off the first scroll from his back and dropped it open onto the ground. From the puff of smoke came Karasu (Crow puppet) who Kankuro swiftly directed to the nearest rooftop. An explosion of debris spread its way through the air as a darting figure came flying out of the destruction onto the ground with a soft thud. Slowly the person rose up from the ground turning their sight to a readied Kankuro with Karasu already back by his side.

"You guys already knew I was following you. I'm not surprised," the person dusted off his long sleeve shirt, "My name is Tobikuma Arashi."

"And I'm Kankuro of Sunagakure," Kankuro said with a perplexed undertone, "Wait did you say Tobikuma?"

"Indeed I did…Tobikuma Nozomu is my older brother," he answered, "I just wish to say before we begin that I have nothing against you personally but an enemy of my brother is an enemy of mine."

"I see so I should already assume you're no push over and you're not going to hold back. I guess I'll have to go all out then," Kankuro placed his hands on two more scrolls that were on his back.

"That would be wise," Arashi softly said instantly appearing in front of a surprised Kankuro. Gripping on the hilt of his sword he gracefully unsheathed it and swung down with a quickening force into the front side of Kankuro.  


* * *

Omoi continued to manuver around the endless barrage of Kuuya's quick attacks. It was easy to tell that Kuuya was by far the best taijutsu fighter out of the three but even Omoi knew that even the best fighters always leave an opening. He examined the strikes that were coming at him to find that very chance. Seconds rolled when he finally noticed there was a slight opening to counter on Kuuya's right side. Omoi quickly parried his dagger and swung for Kuuya's right arm ready to slice it off but at the second of impact Kuuya swung his arm around the deathly strike and revealed a hidden blade from his right arm guard. He instantly slashed upwards reeling Omoi back and letting a line of blood fly into the air.

"You're fast," Omoi ran a finger along the new cut on his cheek, "I thought I had your arm there for a second."

"You're quite fast as well that's why I had to give you a fake opening on me so I could manage a hit but unfortunately my strike was accurate enough," Kuuya responded.

Before he knew it Omoi appeared in front of him slamming an elbow into the armguard shattering it and the hidden blade to pieces and digging a diagonal slash with his sword across Kuuya's front side. Kuuya quickly flipped away in surprise.

"Your fake opening left me with an actual one," Omoi smirked, "And I'm a lot faster than I let on."

"As am I," Kuuya was suddenly behind Omoi. His dagger held firmly to Omoi's throat.

"Impossi…," Omoi began to speak before the dagger dug across his throat.  


* * *

"_Looks like we did it Harou-kun," Kisame stood over a battered body. Blood smeared over his blue skin._

"_It's a shame that a lot of our classmates had to go this way," Harou stood beside Kisame, "But sadly that is the way of the graduation exams. I'm just glad its all over."_

"_Not just yet…there is still you and me," a morose Kisame looked at a somber Harou, "They will kill us both if we refuse to fight till the end…I wish we could have grown strong together but we have to finish." _

"_Of course Kisame-kun. I won't lose to my best friend," Harou squared away against him._

"_Likewise," Kisame smirked, "Let's see who is become number one."_

Both men held their ground as their blades slammed into each. Neither Kisame nor Harou gave any leeway to each other.

"So I'm wondering who has become number one eh old friend," Kisame grinned.

"Shall I show you," Harou jumped back from him.

"Please do," Kisame responded as Harou came charging forward.

Kisame easily parried his sword strike while Harou began to circle to his backside. Another swing and he was blocked again. Taking a quick short breath and flipping his sword into the air, Harou proceed through a few hand signs releasing a large flood of water from his mouth. The crashing waves formed a large sea around and below; something that was advantageous to the both of them. Then just before his sword came back down to him he performed another set of hand signs and then snatched his sword from the air. A faint flow of chakra began to engulf the weapon.

"Do you really think that weapon is going to be of any use against Samehade," Kisame gloated, "It will just eat away at the chakra you put into it with each strike you make against me."

"It'll be enough," Harou softly said before treading his sword quickly across the surface of the water freezing it in a direct line to Kisame who easily side-stepped.

Harou dashed across the water to appear at Kisame's side, "Hyouchuu! (Ice Pillar)" he shouted jabbing his chakra imbued sword into the water.

Suddenly a vast pillar of ice shot out from under Kisame consuming him into the freezing attack. Harou eyed the now frozen smirking Kisame. 'Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) obviously' Harou thought to himself as he swiftly turned around to block an oncoming sword strike from Kisame, who came bursting out from under the water. Kisame pushed him with such force and power across the water it was like a bull easily running through a brick wall. Meanwhile the chakra around Harou's Benishimo was quickly being drained by the hungry Samehade.

"See I told you Harou-kun," Kisame joyfully grunted.

By putting the mass amount of his strength behind his guard, Harou shoved Kisame back and retreated several steps away across the water. Chakra began to flow around his sword again.

"Despite you having such a unique sword among the Seven Swordsman it proves useless against me."

"It is unfortunate that I can't use Benishimo to its fullest extent but alas I am not part of the clan that possessed the kekkei genkai of Hyouton. But I was taught enough to tap into some of its power which is enough to stand against you," Harou retorted.

"Indeed you were taught," Kisame placed his sword on his back and performed a few hand signs, "But no matter the excuses you still don't have what it takes to face me. Misu Bunshin no Jutsu! (Water Clone Technique)"

Four water clones of Kisame rose from the water to surround Harou with each of them holding a hand to the hilt of their swords ready to pounce.

"Let's say we turn this up a notch eh Harou-kun," Kisame said with a devilish grin.  


* * *

"Kazekage-sama there it is," a sand jounin pointed up to the mountain they were approaching.

Gaara drew his gaze up to the enourmous administration building nestled comfortably in the mountain. There were many clouds that floated around it and the many platforms leading up to the building. It was shaped like a giant air ballon and the simplistic beauty of its architecture matched perfectly with the calm clouds and the setting sun in the distance. Despite the peaceful appearance there was a warmonger that resided within and the sand-nin were so close to reaching him. They hopped from platform to platform, dealing with any enemies that opposed them with ease, until they finally crashed in through the entrance to the administration building.

"Everyone stay sharp," Gaara commanded his troops, "Stay together and be prepared for anything. We haven't found the Raikage yet so don't think this will be easy."

"Hai Kazekage-sama!" they firmly responded.

"I won't lose," Gaara spoke to himself, "In the name of Sunagakure you will not survive this day Tobikuma Nozomu."  


* * *

It was a beautiful moonlight night and the gentle sounds of the forest were all around. Crickets played their serene tunes and the gentle hooting of owls mixed in with the caressing breeze of the night air. A gorgeous pale-eyed kunoichi dressed in an elegant white kimono dress made her way across a dirt path nestled in the forest. Curiosity flowed through her as she thought about why Naruto wanted her to come out her so late at night. Regardless she was extremely happy that she was going to see her beloved.

Hinata finally came to the end of the path and slowly worked her way through a small area of tall grass. Finally making her way through she came upon a beautiful and dazzling grotto. Many white water lilies floated on the tranquil pond and at the back was a gentle little waterfall that cascaded down in front of a tiny cave. Fireflies danced joyfully around the grotto and the full moon shined brightly reflecting itself in the still pond. And sitting ever so quietly near the edge of the pond was her Naruto. He was dressed in a formal dark blue robe that made his cerulean eyes shine brightly. His peaceful demeanor radiated throughout the place and the way he quietly skipped rocks across the pond brought a cheerful grin to Hinata's face. Naruto skipped another rock before turning to see her standing a few feet away. A soft smile came to his face as he hopped up off the ground and made his way over to Hinata. Intertwining her hands with his Naruto gently kissed Hinata's soft lips.

"You look so beautiful," he said after releasing the kiss.

"Arigato my sweet," she blushed, "I've missed you all day."

"Forgive me," Naruto let out a gentle breath, "It's been a very busy day for me but it's all over now."

Naruto released her hands and walked back over to the edge of the pond. She could tell something was off. As he looked off into the night sky Hinata came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What's wrong my koishii (beloved)?"

"It's nothing," He turned around in her arms and wrapped his around her body, "It's just that today has made me realized a lot of things………You know I love you very much right?"

"Of course I do Naruto," Hinata looked up at him slightly perplexed, "What happened today? You're not acting like your normal self."

Naruto placed a kiss on her forehead, "I won't keep it from you so I'll just come out and say it…a group of assassins tried to kill me today."

"What!?" Hinata shouted as she took a step from him, "And you failed to let me know about this sooner because?"

"Gomenasai (I'm sorry) Hinata-chan I should have told you sooner today but I just needed time to think."

"Think about what?!" anger began to build inside her, "There should be no thinking when it comes to telling me things, especially something of this magnitude. You know you can always come to me Naruto. I can't believe you didn't…"

"Shhh," Naruto placed a finger on her lips stopping her mid-sentence, "Just let me talk I'm nervous as it is."

"Nervous?" she mumbled through his finger.

"Yeah not a bad nervous though," Naruto waved off any bad thoughts Hinata could be thinking, "Yes I should have told you sooner but that's not what is important right now."

"Like hell it's not!"

Naruto raised his hand up, "Please let me finish."

"Fine I'm listening but this better be good," Hinata humphed.

"So like I was saying I spent all day thinking about a lot of things and I've come up with this," Naruto took a deep breath, "This war that is going on right now…I honestly don't know what is going to happen. In all reality there could be a chance that I might not survive it and it scares me…But after what happened today I think I've accepted the fear that I could die but still I know I will do whatever it takes for Konohagakure even something like were to happen…but you know if I did die today I would be leaving this world with one very big regret and I won't continue on in this life without correcting that…so…"

Croak! A tiny green frog bellowed as it hopped across lily pads landing by Naruto. He leaned down to untie a small wooden box that was on it's back.

"Thanks little guy," Naruto said as he took something out of the box and made his way over to a now nervous Hinata, "You know you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I could never love someone as much as I love you Hinata-chan…"

He took her hand and slowly slid a beautiful silver ring with a sparkling gem on it, "…And I won't live another moment without being able to call you my wife."

Tears began to swell up in her eyes, "Are you really asking…"

"For you to marry me. I am with all my heart."

She looked up into his captivating blue eyes as tears streaked down her face. Without even a second thought she already knew with every fiber of her being what her answer was.

"Yes."

With loving smiles on their faces they took each other in an embrace. Naruto leaned down and tenderly kissed his wife to be and Hinata kissed back with a fiery passion. And in that moment they had everything they ever wanted.

They had each other.


End file.
